


Caught

by Ill_Ratte



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alpha RK900, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bathing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fingering, Gavin gets trans boy porn lmao, Gavin is afraid of the dark, Hell World, M/M, Misgendering, Non-Consensual Fingering, Non-Consensual Spanking, Nonbinary Character, OCD, Omega Gavin Ree, Omega Oppression, Omegaverse, Original Character - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Sex Toys, Spanking, Trans Gavin Reed, Trans Tina Chen, Transphobia, Vaginal Fingering, don’t worry Nines will be good this time, on both parts tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2020-10-13 02:08:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20574683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ill_Ratte/pseuds/Ill_Ratte
Summary: RK900 is the Alpha assigned to deal with Problem Omega Gavin. But as he gets to know him more closely, he begins to realize that maybe the problem doesn’t lie with Gavin





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Literally half of my reason for creating this was Bc “non-consensual spanking” isn’t a tag and I was like “Ooh gotta get on that”. Anyways, please comment and check out my tumblr uwu (@illratte)

The first human RK900 perceived was Gavin Reed. While the first thing he saw was the flash that preceded his optical components coming online, and the baby blue of the wallpaper behind him, Gavin’s face was the first thing his scanners registered. 

[Name: Gavin Reed  
Dynamic: Omega  
Gender: Transsexual  
Age: 36  
Blood Type: AB+  
Mood: Disstressed  
Suggested actions:Hug, pet, words of comfort]

As the information scrolled past, RK900 became aware of a voice. 

“- Your new Caretaker! Don’t you want to name him?”

Gavin Reed shook his head. His eyes, bright green, watered. The words “I don’t fuckin want it.” Slipped past his lips. 

Rk900 turned his head. 

[Name: Joshua Waters  
Dynamic: Beta  
Gender: Male  
Occupation: Omega Caretaker  
… ]

The Beta was tall, with a thin, lined face and pursed lips. RK900 skipped the rest of his information, instead focusing on the man’s words. 

“Gavin! What did I tell you about swearing? Will I have to discipline you again?”

Gavin cowered. His feet shuffled on the floor, and the mood reading changed from “Distressed” to “Fearful”. “N-no, sir.” 

“Good. Now, why don’t you name your new friend? RK900, open name registration.” 

[Name Registration: Open]

“What would you like to name me, Gavin?” A smile, to make Gavin more comfortable, with his arms held open in a welcoming gesture. 

Gavin turned back to the Beta. “No. Don’t wannna name him.”

“Registering name as-“

“Cancel name registration.” Barked the Beta. He stared down at Gavin then, hands on his knees as he gave him an almost fatherly smile. “Why don’t you want to name him, honey? He’s gonna take care of you. Can’t you even give him a silly name?” 

Gavin glared at him. “No. I. Don’t. Want. It.” 

The Beta sighed. “Fine. Fine. I’ll name him for you. RK900, open name registration.”

[Name Registration: Open]

“What would you like to name me?” 

“‘Daddy’.” 

[Name Registration: Closed]

“Would you like to spend some time with your Daddy, Gavin?”

Gavin rapidly shook his head. “Noooo.”

“Don’t be mean, Gavin. He’s your Daddy! You have to treat him with respect.”

Gavin still shook his head, but the Beta only chuckled, ruffling Gavin’s hair. “He’s a bit of a brat.” He said to the RK900, “But he can be cute once he warms up to you. I’ll leave him with you for now. Take him back to his room now.”

[Accessing: Building Schematics]

Five floors, two set aside as dormitories. Gavin was on the fifth floor, in the “Special Omega” unit. A room at the end of the hallway, city view, right near the elevator. 

“Would you like to come with me, sweetheart?” He held his hand out too, to make sure Gavin knew to grab it. That it wasn’t optional. 

Gavin stared at him for a moment, before grabbing. “Don’t call me sweetheart. I’m 36.” 

The Beta tutted in the background, but Nines nodded. “Alright, buddy. All adults here, right?”

Gavin puffed out his chest and nodded. He was pliant enough as they made it to his room. 

It was painted a dark blue, with little white stars on the ceiling. In the left corner of the room sat an oblong bed shaped like a flying saucer, with a dip in the middle. A nesting bed. And in the opposite corner was a less childish bed, square and done up with a soft, down comforter and royal blue pillows. A mating bed. A door for a closet opened up near the mating bed, and another, gated door led to a balcony. 

“Do you want to cuddle, Gavin? Or would you like to play with some of your toys?” The two options seemed well enough to combat the stress that still dropped from Gavin, and the choice would appeal to his more independent nature. 

“No.” Gavin huffed, brushing past him and instead slumping onto the bed. He pulled up a tattered book, giving RK900 one last glare before turning to it. 

As Gavin read, RK900 waited patiently by his bedside. It was obvious that Gavin didn’t want company, and his reading caused his stress to steadily decrease, so there was little cause to intervene. 

Gavin was a slow reader. At first, RK900 assumed it was from poor literacy; most Omegas received little schooling after they presented, and children suspected to present Omega hardly received any. But the information in Gavin’s file said otherwise: he had gone through k-12 schooling, as well as the police academy. It seemed, as Gavin lay on his back, leisurely thumbing through the pages, he simply enjoyed reading slower. 

He scanned the book, and as it met all of the Omega-appropriate requirements, he began a sweep of the room. 

[File: Gavin Reed  
Special requirements: No sharp objects, lock on balcony door, intensive mood monitoring] 

The balcony door was locked as specified, the grey padlock’s glint out of place with the softness of the room. A voice activated lock was present on Gavin’s personal grooming kit, and thick fabric padded the corners of the mating bed. 

And Gavin seemed happy enough, laying back in his bed as he thumbed through his book. 

RK900 settled down into a rocking chair besides the nesting bed. While he would have liked to snuggle up with his Omega on the nesting bed, that was reserved for flesh and blood Alphas only. His protocol only involved keeping his Omega safe and happy, and simulating what his true Alpha would do both to train him and keep him satiated. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t watch. 

“What’re you looking at?” Gavin peered over his book, one eyebrow raised. 

[Current mood: Distressed  
Suggestions: Words of comfort, Pet, Honesty] 

“You.” 

“Well don’t, freak. Find something else to do.”

“I have already scanned your room for possible danger, and it is secure. What else could I do to please you?” 

“Fuck off. Go stick your head up someone else’s ass.” 

“Gavin, what have you been told about swearing?”

“None of your fucking business, plastic.” Gavin gave him the middle finger before turning over. 

Nines stood up, a red message taking over his screen. 

[Infraction: Minor.  
Action: Required.  
Options: Chastise, Time Out, Spank] 

He considered the first option. While Gavin hadn’t reacted well to the Beta, or to himself, it still seemed like the least extreme option. While he would have thought it best to ignore his bad behavior, his programming had other ideas. 

“Gavin. I want you to apologize to me for your swearing. It is unbecoming of an Omega to use such words, and it is offensive.” He stood over the edge of the nesting bed. Lines of red stopped him from moving further. 

“Fucking make me, freak.” Something glinted in his eyes, and he moved nearer to the edge of the bed. Enough to sneer down at the RK900, but far enough away so he couldn’t be grabbed. 

RK900 knew he should leave him be. Gavin’s teeth were bared, and his shoulders were tight with tension, eyes narrowed as he stared down at him, his hands hooked into claws in the blanket sheets. He didn’t need the mood reading to tell Gavin was distressed. But if he let him be, Gavin could tantrum himself out. 

The red [Action: Required] flashed in RK900’s vision. 

“Gavin. Please apologize, or I will be forced to take further action.” 

Gavin reached to his nightstand, hucking one of his books at his shoulder. RK900 winced, stepping away. “That is highly innap-“

The next book hit him in the face. 

[Infraction: Major  
Action: Required Immediately  
Options: Spank]

RK900 attempted to move forwards. Red lines flashed brighter. He was at a wall. 

[Action: Required immediately  
Options: Spank]

RK900 tried to step forwards. Red lines. Wall. 

[Action: Required immediately  
Options: Spank]

Forward. Red lines. Wall. 

[Action: Required immediately  
Options: Spank]

Forward. Red-

[System Crash: Imminent]

The last thing RK900 saw before rebooting was Gavin, face twisted in nothing short of malice. 

——————————

[Systems: Online  
Running Diagnostics]

RK900 blinked. He wasn’t in Gavin’s room. Everything gleamed white and sterile, the scent of Omegas and fear mingling with antiseptic and artificial Alpha Hormones. Human Alphas weren’t allowed in Omega centers unless they were in the designated meet and greet areas. 

A small bed stood to his side, Gavin stretched out on top of it. White fuzzy mittens encased his hands, his arms wrapped around his sides. His sweatpants had been yanked down, red hand prints littering his posterior. The earlier malice had been replaced with tears. 

Two Beta nurses sat to the side, talking to each other. RK900 tuned in. 

“- So Sad. It’s always heartbreaking, these Omega abuse cases.”

“I thought he was living alone? And that was why he’s so… you know.”

“Well, Yes. But… he’s a-a you-know-what. Someone had to have encouraged the poor thing. How do you think it got hormones?”

“I don’t know what.”

“Well… the pants are down now. You can see for yourself.” 

The second Beta leaned over, blushing and staring back at her friend. “Did they find whoever did that?” 

Something oddly protective had overtaken RK900. Despite whatever Gavin’s past held, it was obvious he was male. He squared his shoulders, turning to the two Betas. “I do believe you are only serving to upset him further. I politely ask you to leave.”

The Betas grumbled But complied. 

“I see you’re booted up.” The Beta from before, Joshua Waters. He looked haggard. “Just my luck that it would happen before I got back.” 

“May I be of assistance?” With Gavin subdued, he looked to Gavin’s primary human caretaker for guidance. 

“Yes, actually. Gavin behaved extremely poorly. You should discipline him.” 

“But he has already been-“

“That’s an order.”

RK900 walked forwards. Gavin cowered. No anger. Just fear. 

He picked him up easily, settling him over his lap. His bottom was still heated to the touch, Gavin flinching away as he gingerly placed a hand on it. 

The first slap made Gavin jiggled. Tentative more than forceful, to test how far his programming would push him. It wasn’t enough. The next spank hit the rise of his bottom, Gavin whimpering. 

He rubbed at the sting before hitting in the same place. The next few slaps covers his bottom thoroughly, taking care not to hit too hard on where he had already been spanked. 

Still, by the end of it, Gavin was a sobbing, heaving mess, an uncomfortable amount of slick having leaked from between his legs. 

The Beta stood when it was over. “Open his legs.” 

Gavin’s legs kicked out. 

“Why?”

“Finger him. He’s aroused. You’re his temporary Alpha.” 

Gavin cried louder. 

As RK900 reaches towards him, Gavin’s sobs turning to wails, a small window reading “Software Instability” appeared in the corner of his eye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for Gavin saying the t slur and some ableism   
Comment and follow me on tumblr @illratte

“Well? What are you waiting for?”   
The Beta tapped his feet, looking expectantly at RK900. 

Currently, he was stalled. He didn’t want to touch Gavin. It was quite clear from the way the Omega sobbed and shied away from him that he most certainly didn’t want an unfamiliar Alpha playing with his private parts. But he couldn’t not do it. The orders, given directly from Joshua, were clear - Finger Gavin until he released. 

He decided the best way to do it was to only look at Gavin’s body, not is face. Focus on his fingers caressing the plump rise of his ass, on spreading his red lips as wetness already seeped out of him. Massage his tiny cock between his fingers until Gavin moaned and pushed back into him. 

He tried not to see the pain that mixed with pleasure as he slipped a finger inside, or how tears still dribbled down from his face even as RK900 crooked his finger into the spot supposed to bring him pleasure, or hear how the little grunts that left Gavin as he added two more fingers, fucking in and out of him at an uneven rhythm, were more from pain than pleasure. 

And he tried to quell the sick reaction in his own systems as he felt Gavin spasm and cum around him, walls grasping desperately at his finger. He wanted to be the one to hold him, to caress him as Gavin sobbed himself out into his arms, to whisper into Gavin’s hair that everything would be alright. To take away the pain that he had given. 

He reached out to pet him, and Gavin jerked away. “Nooooooooooo!” New tears tracked his face as Gavin inched forwards on the bench. Somehow, this was worse than Gavin’s malice. 

[Software Instability]

The Beta scooped Gavin into his arms, rubbing his bottom as he rocked him. Gavin looked tired, nuzzling into the Beta’s neck in a rare display of affection. “You’re a sweet little thing when you want to be, aren’t you?” The Beta chuckled, placing a kiss on the tip of his nose. 

To RK900’s surprise, Gavin blushed and nodded, hiding his face in the Beta’s shirt. Gavin was set back down on the bed, his pants pulled up and a thick, plush blanket laid over him. 

RK900’s eyes widened as Gavin’s straight jacket was removed, the Beta grabbing and rubbing one of Gavin’s still-mittened hands against Gavin’s face. “You’ll only have to wear these for a little while more, ok baby boy?” He chuckled. Gavin accepted the affection without complaint, even letting out a happy hum as the blanket pulled up to his chin. 

As Gavin settled into a nap, the Beta stroking his hair, Waters turned to him. “Don’t take it personally that he hates you.” 

Hate? That was a strong word. RK900 replayed the footage from earlier, and his stress level rose when he realized that it fit. 

“He’s not used to being cared for. Poor thing thought he could live alone for years, despite the obvious damage to his health. And he wasn’t socialized much with Alphas after puberty, so it’s a miracle he can even function at all around you. But he’ll come around. In his first week here, the little scoundrel wouldn’t talk to anyone. Threw a fit every mealtime, too.” The Beta rambled on, lost in memories. It seemed his spiel was more for himself than for the RK900. 

Still, it gave him some small measure of hope. Maybe Gavin would love him like he loved the Beta before him. He slipped into stasis, assessing any damages to his system while the image, wholly fabricated, of Gavin cuddling into him played in his mind on repeat. 

———————————————

Someone had moved him to Gavin’s room during stasis. And another someone, most likely Gavin, from the scent that exuded from the folds of the deep blue fabric, had draped a blanket over his head. 

He pulled the fabric to the side, peering out at the Omega. Gavin curled on his nesting bed, a drawing pad and pencil in his hands. The mittens were gone, and Gavin was in light blue pajamas with little cactuses. The lights in his room blazed, even though a quick check told RK900 that it was passed light’s out for him. 

[Infraction: Minor  
Action: Required  
Options: Shut off lights, talk to, spank] 

RK900 approached the bed. “I assume you realize it is well past light’s out for you.”

Gavin grunted, not looking up from his sketch. RK900 couldn’t see what he was drawing, so he circled behind him, peering down even as Gavin jerked the page away. 

What he saw in the split second was enough.

Carnage. Too realistic to be just from imagination, three bodies piled on top of each other and staked through the middle. Mouths open like it had happened while they were still alive. 

Gavin stared up at him, mouth open slightly as he clutched the pad to his chest. “The fuck are you lookin at?” 

A notification to discipline Gavin for swearing popped into the corner of his eye, but he was still frozen in shock. “Have you seen something like that before, Gavin?” He searched his records for the possibility of Gavin having lenient enough internet access to see it. 

Gavin shifted, clutching the pad tighter. “None of your business.”

[Name: Gavin Reed  
Exercise: 1 hr/day   
Outdoor Recreation: 1 hr/day  
Special Privileges: None]

??????

RK900 scrolled farther down his file. 

[Past Occupations: Police Officer, Detective   
Diagnosis: OCD] 

“Did you- have you seen the people in your drawings before?” 

Gavin stared at him. Eyes narrowed, calculating. 

“Because they’re very well-drawn. You have a lot of skill. Is drawing something you’re passionate about?”

Gavin raised an eyebrow, turning back to his pad once he knew RK900 wouldn’t stop him. His pencil traced the lines of a cut-short scream. “It helps me. With the images.”

“What images?” 

“When I close my eyes, I have to see them. I tried to make them go away, at first. But the more I tried, the more they stayed.”

When RK900 offered no response, still puzzling over the new information, Gavin sighed. “It’s mostly shit from cases, and just things from my mind. Stuff I can’t really get rid of, even if I tried. But Dr. Brewer said it would get better if I could focus on them here instead of in my mind. Because if I keep trying to push them away, they won’t leave.” 

It was all interesting information, information that RK900 hurriedly stored into his files for later, for pouring and repouring over, and yet… “Why are you telling me this? I wasn’t aware our bond had reached the level of confidant yet.” Humor would perhaps alleviate the tension inherent in the question. 

Gavin snorted, but his shoulders remained tensed. “Guess I didn’t want you to think I was some sort of freak or something. I’m already the tranny freak to everyone; might as well not be the resident psycho.” 

[Mood: Distressed  
Options: Words of comfort, cuddle, soothe]

RK900 still held no response. “I’m sorry…”   
[Possible Words Of Comfort:  
“You feel that way”  
“That things are like this”  
“That you are treated like this”]

“I’m sorry that you can’t be yourself.” 

Gavin laughed. Shoulders untensed, but only a little. “Yeah yeah, I’m sure you are, fuckin Mr Roboto.” 

“It’s getting late, and I think having your light on may disturb your neighbors.” 

Gavin’s hands went white against the page. 

“Perhaps I could put your desk lamp on while you draw?” Enough so Gavin wouldn’t remain wired, but still lending him enough control over his situation so he wouldn’t panic. 

“... And while I sleep too, right?” 

“While you sleep?” Complete darkness was the recommendation for a well-rested Omega. 

“I don’t like the dark.” His hands were still white against the pad, his eyes having found something intensely interesting. 

“What if I… protected you?” 

“I’m not a child!”

Bad choice of words. “I was not implying that. Only that sometimes the darkness is easier to cope with when you have a… friend with you.”

“You’re not my friend. Sides, you’re not even a real person. It’s like when Josh gave me that dumb stuffed animal.” 

A real person was an interesting turn of phrase. RK900 decided that was why he stored it away for further inspection. “I’m sorry to assume. Would you instead like to watch something to help you calm down?”

“It’s past my bedtime, isn’t it?”

He was correct; Gavin’s posted bedtime was half an hour ago. “I think we both know that you won’t be going to sleep for a bit either way.” 

“Fine. And the desk lamp stays on, right?” 

“Alright.”

He seated himself near the foot of the nesting bed, using his hand to project a movie onto the wall. Some old cartoon about police animals that he hoped Gavin would enjoy. 

As Gavin settled in to watch, he pulled a tattered stuffed animal up to his chest. It was a cat with long, tufted ears and a stubby tail, and Gavin held onto it like a liferaft as his eyes flitted across the screen. 

——————————

RK900’s morning came at 7:30 am, with him turning on his internal alarm to wake Gavin. Groggily, Gavin sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. “Fuckin already?”

“Please refrain from swearing. And you need to get up now if you wish to fit in a bath before breakfast.”

“And why would I want that?”

“You’ll smell nice, you’ll feel clean, your hygiene will improve,” Gavin seemed nonplussed by his options, so RK900 added with a smirk, “I’ll stop bothering you about it, too.”

“... Carry me.”

Gavin was easier to carry than he expected. Too tired to wriggle around, he simply rested his head against the RK900’s chest as he swayed in his arms. But as he pushed at the door of the men’s bathroom, Gavin turned red and shook his head. “Don’t think they want me in there.” 

“Aren’t you a man?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why not?”

“They don’t like it when the others see my body. Makes em confused.” The aggressive Omega from before had shrunk into someone small and tired. 

“Then where? I’m not washing you in the women’s bathroom.” Gavin was safe from harassment in the men’s room while he was there, and he certainly wouldn’t cause him unnecessary dysphoria by taking him to the women’s. 

“Josh usually does it in the gender neutral one, since it’s single stall.”

“Alright.” He lugged him over to it, thankful when he found it empty. 

The bathroom was small, the floor tiled with an earthy brown and the walls colored pale green. The tub sat at the back of the room, set into the wall. He sat Gavin down on the lip of it, asking him to undress while he searched for the soaps.

The cabinet by the sink was well-stocked, most of the shampoo and soaps labeled “Gavin”. He chose a deep purple bar of soap, as well as green body wash and shampoo and conditioner. “Would you like any tub toys? Or bubbles or a bath bomb?” He doubted Gavin would, but there was a little tub set aside for them, and maybe Gavin would appreciate his bath more if it was “fun”.

“Sure. Bubble bar, the one shaped like a star.” 

Indeed, a blue and yellow star, already worn away by use, was in the box. He grabbed it, balancing it along with Gavin’s over soaps. 

As he turned around, he tried not to stare. While before he had been too focused on Gavin’s pain to notice, he now saw Gavin’s body in full. 

The Omega certainly wasn’t unattractive, with a full stomach and breasts, as well as thick hairs trailing from his chest to his pubic mound to his ankles. A tiny cock was tucked into Gavin’s folds, seeming to hide away from the RK900’s unintentionally prying eyes. 

“Like what you see, tin can?” He smirked, hand drifting to squeeze his chest. 

“I think you should get into your bath.” He didn’t know if he could trust himself to wash Gavin. 

“Alright, Alright.” Gavin lowered himself in, groaning as he hit the water. 

RK900 set to work, letting the bubble bar run under the faucet as he lathered shampoo and conditioner into Gavin’s hair. As he let his hands run over Gavin’s body, Gavin’s sultry look turned to one of bliss as he was caressed, RK900 realized he enjoyed taking care of Gavin very much.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, hope y’all like this installment of Nines tries (and fails) to not catch feelings for Gavin  
Please please comment and~~  
Twitter: @Ill_Ratte (most active here come say hi!)  
Tumblr: @illratte

“Visitors?” Gavin’s fork slipped from his hand, and the RK900 had to catch it before it clattered to the floor. 

Waters smiled down at him patiently.   
“Yes. Just one this time, one of your Beta friends, I think? She said she’s bringing you a present. Isn’t that nice of her?”

Gavin nodded. “I like presents.” 

“Be sure to remember your manners and thank her, ok?” 

Again, Gavin nodded. Like a child parroting what an adult had instructed of them. One of Waters’ hands reached down to pet Gavin’s head, and Gavin simply stayed still for the gesture.

“Who are your friends?” RK900 asked when Waters had left. He didn’t want to sound doubting, yet it was hard to parse that someone as prickly as Gavin had made friends. He hardly seemed close with any of the Omegas in the institution. 

“What? Thought I was a freak who didn’t have any?” 

“Well you have none here, as far as I can tell.” 

Gavin sniffed. “Why would I want to be friends with a bunch of babies anyways?”

“You must want someone to talk to.” 

“They don’t like talking. Not about what I want to talk about, anyways.”

“What do you like to talk about then, Gavin?” 

“I don’t like talking to dumb robots, either.” With that, Gavin turned back to his meal, stabbing viciously at an egg with his fork. 

Gavin’s friend arrived in the late afternoon. While Gavin pretended that he didn’t care, RK900 caught him checking the clock more than a few times. 

“It’s time to go, Gavin.” He hummed. Gavin currently lounged on his nesting bed, still in his sleep clothes. “Well, once you get dressed.”

“Tina won’t care.” He grumbled, already standing up. 

“But it’s improper. Would you- would you visit her in your underwear too?” 

“She’s seen me naked, dumbass.” 

Still, RK900 won the battle. Gavin grumbled as he pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, probably more than a few curses slipping from him. Rk900 was thankful he couldn’t catch them. As he waited for him, RK900 opened up the building schematics. 

The visiting center was on the first floor, just off from the elevator. He wouldn’t even have to hold Gavin’s hand to lead him, per protocol. “Do you go there often?” He asked conversationally as he ushered Gavin out of the door. 

“To the visiting center? I guess. More than most Omegas, at least.” 

“Oh?”

“Most have been here since forever, so it’s just their family that visits them.”

“That must be nice. Does your family visit?” 

Gavin’s face screwed up. “Ew, no. I don’t want them anywhere near me. It’s mostly just my friends.”

“Mostly?” 

“Uhm… once one of my old coworkers showed up, a bit after I got here. Hank. He was… nice, but we weren’t really close before… all of this happened, so I was a bit mean to him because I thought he was just pitying me.” 

Before. Gavin hadn’t spoken much on what his life had been like before his dynamic was discovered. RK900 wondered if it was painful, to dwell on it. He didn’t like the thought of the Omega being in pain. 

The visiting center was surprisingly pleasant. RK900 had expected the same sterility as where Gavin had been sent for sedation. Instead, while the walls were done in the same white, natural light filtered onto the floor, and small, dark wooden tables crouched next to pleather couches, leafy green plants placed in pots on top of them. “This is nice.” RK900 murmured. 

“Gotta make it look nice so no one’ll complain. Me and Teeny usually take that corner back there.” He pointed at an alcove a bit to the right of the door. “You gotta check her in though.”

“Promise to stay put?”

Gavin bobbed his head.

“Alright.” He gave Gavin a goodbye wave. Gavin rolled his eyes, but returned it. 

There was only one person, a Beta, waiting at the check-in station. Her arms were crossed, and she tapped her foot, shooting him a pursed smile as he came closer. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore jeans and a t-shirt, like Gavin. 

[Name: Tina Chen  
Age: 31  
Dynamic: Beta]

“Tina Chen? Have you already signed in.”

“Yeah; been waiting here for fifteen minutes. You keeping him from me?” It sounded like it was supposed to be a joke, but she had no humor on her face. 

“My apologies, Ms Chen.” A bit of a smirk crept onto his face. “Gavin was insistent on pajamas being proper attire for entertaining you.” 

“That sounds like him, at least.”

“You’ve had your gifts checked over?” He motioned to the bag in her hand. 

“Yep. Now take me to him, Robo man.”

“My name is… I am an RK900.” He sweeped his arm out for her to follow, heading back to the alcove. 

“So what is your name?” She almost looked teasing as she said it, and the good humor made him answer instead of brushing it off. 

“Gavin’s caretaker has registered my name as ‘Daddy’.” 

That made her stop. She blinked, mouth working open and closed, before shaking her head. 

“Are you alright, Ms Chen?”

“You really don’t hold back here, so you?” 

“I don’t understand.”

“Whatever. Just take me to Gavin.” She remained in stony silence until they reached the alcove. Gavin had already stretched out on one of the couches, and he gave Tina what he supposed Gavin thought was a sexy look when she arrived. 

“Hello, you sexy beast.”

“Hey.” She plopped down besides him, grabbing his legs before dropping them on her lap. “Taking up the whole seat again, fatty?”

“Don’t make me kick you off. I’m basically a king here. Everyone treats me like the royalty I am.” 

“Mm, you have your own personal robot now, right?” 

It felt strange to be addressed like he didn’t exist, but it was protocol for him to remain during the visit, so he quietly seated himself on the couch opposite them. 

“Yup! Can’t go on my bed though, which is sick.”

“Oh?”

“I threw my books at him.” 

Tina snorted, reaching out to tussle Gavin’s hair. “That’s not nice, Gav Gav.” 

“I hit him in the face.”

“And that earned you a spanking.” RK900 piped in. 

“You’re still here?” Gavin cast him a lazy eye, sticking out his tongue. 

“He’s here and queer. And speaking of royalty, your highness, I have some presents for you. And you better be greatful; I had to really fight to get these ones to you.”

Gavin tilted his nose up. “I was informed. May I see them?”

She nodded, handing him the bag. 

It started off innocuous enough, with Gavin pulling out a Charizard and a Mewtwo plushie, but the novel made RK900 pause. It was a mystery novel, and a quick search told him that it had rather brutal scenes unsuited for Omega perusing. Still, somehow it had been allowed. 

“Won’t that give you nightmares?” RK900 asked. 

“No?”

“But you have to do drawings already. Won’t this just add to that?”

Gavin rolled his eyes, and RK900 had to push away the glowing [Discipline Suggested]. “I can take care of myself; I’m an adult.” 

“Alright.” It seemed his superiors had thought so as well. Still, the next objects made him cringe. 

Gavin had pulled out a “Clit Sucker 9000”, as well as a book titled “Best of Omega Bonus-hole Boys”. 

“They let you give him… pornography??”

“It’s natural!” Gavin was bright red, but he protectively clutched the items to his chest. 

“You like Omegas?”

“... There are Alphas in there, too.” 

The words “that doesn’t seem appropriate” hovered on his tongue, but he held them back. 

“There’s one more in there, GavGav. You’ll love it.” Tina seemed entirely unphased by the proceedings, and RK900 couldn’t help but admire her. 

The last present was a blanket, a plush microfiber one made up of cat-shaped constellations, and Gavin clutched it to his chest, rubbing against his cheek and purring. “You did good, Teeny.”

“I always do good, dumby.” 

RK90 sat quietly as the friends chatted. Tina told Gavin stories about her place of work, and Gavin traded little anecdotes of his time, mostly of the trouble he got into. With the information, RK900 pieced together small bits about Gavin; that he loved going outside, even in the cold weather, that he and Tina had met on the job, and bonded over being the only trans people there, that he was a hard worker, but a bit abrasive at his old job, and from the way that Tina’s hands lingered over him, teasing and pinching and petting, they had once been lovers. 

The last thought sent a pang through RK900. He wondered what it would be like, to be so close to Gavin. Of course, he was designed to simulate mating the Omega at some point; while he wasn’t allowed to use his teeth to complete the bond, he was certainly required to knot him during Gavin’s heats. But that wasn’t what Tina and Gavin shared; they had something far more intimate, from the way a look could elicit a laugh. 

RK900 was almost sad to have to kick Tina out; Gavin had never looked so happy. 

“Please? Just five more minutes?”

“That’s what you said five minutes ago, Gavin.” He sighed.

“Yeah but I lost count.”

“I really should be going, but I’ll see you again soon, ok?” She leaned down to kiss his cheek, and he put on a show of being grossed out, before darting up to kiss her back as she pulled away. “Dumbass.” She laughed. 

“Love you toooo.” He singsonged, waving as she walked away. 

Thankfully, Gavin’s mood lasted into the evening, going along as RK900 fed him and lead him through his excercises in the Omega gym, and even consented to stilted socialization with other Omegas in the rec room. 

“It’s not so bad, right?” RK900 chuckled, as Gavin leaned back on the couch next to another Omega, watching cartoons. 

“Whatever.” Gavin huffed. 

“You’ve done very well today, you know.”

“I’m a special boy. And I do well every day.”

“You threw a book at me yesterday.” 

“That’s incidental.” He smirked. 

“I just want to say that I’m glad you’re adjusting so well.” It wasn’t required, wasn’t some part of his protocol, but somehow, it felt needed. He reached out to pat Gavin’s shoulder, and Gavin only raised an eyebrow at the intrusion. 

“Thank you.”

That night, Gavin settled into bed easily; he brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas when prompted, and he seemed content to spend his hour of quiet time reading his new novel, the charizard tucked into his arm. 

Still, a few pages in, Gavin looked up. His face was studiously neutral. “Hey… Nine?”

“Nine?”

“... RK900 is too long. And I am Not calling you Daddy.” 

“Alright. Now what do you want… your highness?”

Gavin actually flushed. “Can you, uhh, read this to me?” He handed him the book. 

“Are you having trouble focusing?”

“N-no. It’s just… you look pretty awkward just sitting there. And it’s getting a little spooky.” He laughed. 

“Alright. I would enjoy that that very much. Where did you leave off?”

“Just start from the beginning, I don’t mind.”

As RK900, or Nine, as Gavin had dubbed him (and “Nine” decided he liked the name very much), started reading, he couldn’t help but stare at Gavin. The Omega was cuddled into the bed, covers drawn close as he clutched Charizard in his arms. He looked positively angelic as he stared up at Nine, and he even gave him a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so- Warnings for some Misgendering and Transphobia  
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Waking up Gavin was the hardest part of Nine’s day. While the Omega had grown somewhat fond of him, the Gavin that existed right after being roused from his slumber was an entirely different beast than the one he dealt with day to day. And today was especially strenuous, given what had been planned for Gavin. 

All Omegas at the center had the end goal of being paired off with a mate. Even if they despised the idea, like Gavin. That meant an endless parade of Alpha suitors. Today, Gavin was going to meet one such Alpha. 

As far as Gavin’s records told, he had been at the center for six months. During that time, he had met with, and rejected, seven suitors. Gavin being a “challenge Omega” meant that Gavin was only available to experienced (or rich) Alphas, But it seemed that Gavin’s “charms” had scared them off. 

“Why do I gotta get up? Don’t even have anywhere to beeeeee.”

It seems that no one had informed Gavin of his meeting. And that it now fell to Nine. “Well… we do have a meeting to go to.”

“Meeting? What am I, a fucking businessman?”

“A date.” 

“... no. Not that shit again. I fucking won’t, ok?” A growl left him, and for the first time since he had been there, Gavin looked feral. 

“You have to. And, don’t you want to leave?”

“Not. With. Them.” 

“Why?” The ‘we can do this all night if we have to’ was implied, Nine hoped as he tapped his foot. 

Gavin just shook his head. “I’m not telling some dumb robot.”

“I guess I’ll be dragging you to breakfast, then?” 

With no answer, Nines looped his arms around Gavin’s, dragging him across the room. 

“I’m still in my pajamas that’s illegal!” Gavin stuck his feet into the carpet, attempting to create friction. 

“You said so yourself that it’s fine. Would you like to change? Or are you just going to kick up even more of a fuss?”

“... I’ll change. But I won’t like it.” 

“Tragic.” 

It took half an hour, but finally Nine found an outfit Gavin could agree on. Omegas were supposed to be semi-formal and feminine for their dates, so no jeans and no t-shirts, but Nine did find a flowy black shirt that “looked like it belonged on a pirate”, paired with Gavin’s binder so it fit more masculinely, and green slacks that weren’t “completely horrible”, so he supposed it was a win. Gavin seemed impressed rather than dysphoric with his shirt at least, grinning and pulling at the cuffs as Nine smoothed gel into his hair. 

“Why are you grimacing at the mirror, Gavin?” Nine asked as he smoothed a wayward strand of hair down. 

“I look more like a vampire than a pirate now that my hair’s down. We should get some blood and spray it on my face!”

“Absolutely not.” Nine snickered.

“Not even food coloring?”

“It won’t wash off.” 

In the end, Gavin capitulated to going down without any blood, real or otherwise, sprayed over his face. Instead, he allowed Nine to lead him along with his hand, only grumbling a little as Nine put his breakfast, scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and a healthy heap of fruit, on his plate. Nine did let Gavin get cranberry juice to drink, though.

“So, when’s this stupid date, anyways?” 

“A few hours from now; unfortunately, he had to postpone it.” 

“Gucking great. Can I get changed out of this, then?”

“No. And we won’t have our excercise time until later; I can’t have you soiling your good clothes.” 

“Wowee, That fucking sucks.”

“Gavin- Please.”

“Well what am I supposed to do while I’m waiting?” Gavin had already demolished the food on his place, and he stared expectantly at Nine. 

“The rec center is open.” 

“Ew.”

“‘Ew’? That’s awful unkind.” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Oh my god, look; I don’t want to hang out with a bunch of dumb babies, ok??”

“Why not? You’re an Omega, like it or not, and you need to be socialized.” 

“Says who? Some musty Alphas? It’s not like I’ll get any Omega friends when they finally stick me with some ugly fuck, and even if I did, they wouldn’t let me talk to anyone from here.”

“You don’t know that. And as a reward for socializing, I’ll let you play video games on the console.”

“What kind of video games?”

“Whatever you want, within reason.”

Gavin allowed himself to be lead to the recreation room. It was a large room with white cinder-block walls, patterned with shapes and zags of neon and primary colors. The floor was carpeted in a similar pattern, with black and sprays of yellow-gold and white as a backdrop to smaller iterations of the same shapes. The wall furthest from the glass double doors leading in housed a row of flat-screen TVs, either blasting cartoons or video games. Bunches of beanbags done in dull, soothing, secondary colors, clustered in front. Along the wall to the left was a whiteboard, little doodles of flowers and animals already littering it’s surface, and small, wooden tables held boxes of art supplies. The final wall housed clusters of games, such as a beanbag toss and a ping pong table. A few Omegas clustered around the TVs, their caretakers sitting Besides them, while a few others milled around the art station, a young Beta instructing then in a craft. 

Gavin strode towards the TVs with a purpose, and Nine latched onto him. “Not so fast, Gav.”

“Whaaat?”

“Socialize first.”

“I’ll watch TV with one of em. Happy?”

“No. You did that last time.” He steered Gavin towards the group of Omegas drawing. 

A few looked up, staring at him. 

“What’s your name, sweetie?” The Beta asked Gavin. Unlike most of the Betas Nine had encountered, she wasn’t wearing the usual all-white caregiver uniform. Instead, she had on a pink sweater and blue jeans, and her strawberry-blonde hair was held back with a scrunchie topped by a tiny blue flower. Nine decided that her green eyes were kind. 

“Gavin.” Suddenly, the Omega had gone shy. 

“That’s a pretty name. Would you like to take a seat? We aren’t too far along in our project, and there’s always room for one more.” 

“Yeah, sure. I’ll, uh, take a seat.” He grabbed at one of the chairs, more fit for a child than an adult, and scooted in. Some of the Omegas still stared, but Gavin studiously ignored them, fumbling with the small pile of string in front of him. 

Seeing that Gavin was both occupied and supervised, Nine allowed himself to scan the room. Most of the Omegas were in their late teens to early twenties, but a few met or even surpassed Gavin’s age. The Beta Woman came up as  
[Name: Cherry Rhodes  
Occupation: Art Activities Director  
Age: 28]

The other Beta’s turned up with little interest, but as Nine cast his gaze back at Gavin, it caught on something. Someone new had entered the room. 

From what he could tell, they were a Beta. They hung back near the door, looking on impassively at the art lesson. They wore black pants and a grey polo shirt, with a little silver badge on the lapel reading “Tech Department.” If Nine hadn’t seen them move, he suspected without his heat signatures he would have missed them; they were pale, with clipped ash-blond hair and watery grey eyes. Nines tried to read them. Nothing came up. 

“Zan!” Cherry waved, and the strange Beta drew closer. They kept their hands in their pockets. Cherry smiled. Zan’s face tilted in a tight uplift. 

“Cherry.” Their voice hit the lower part of the register between male and female. “Is the project coming along?” 

“They’re making friendship bracelets!” 

Zan nodded. Nine looked away, out of politeness, but they had already caught him staring. In a few quick, measured steps, they stood in front of Nine. “RK900, I presume?”

“Gavin calls me ‘Nine’.” It unsettled him that this Zan knew more about him than he did about them, but he supposed he *was* common knowledge, being a prototype.

“Do you like the name?”

“I do.” 

They stood very close to him now, and Nine noticed that they had a silver band around their wrist, almost like a watch, but with a thumbpad where the clock face would be. Zan reached forwards, the band connecting with his own wrist, and before Nine could think to pull his hand away, a message flashed in front of his eyes in bright, fizzling green. 

| Meet me tomorrow at 0130 in the TECH RECEPTION ROOM. Make sure you’re not followed.  
Remember: They’re watching us.| 

Zan smiled, and the billion picture comparisons snapping through Nine’s mind in a tenth of a second told Nine that Zan resembled a shark more than anything. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Nine. Well, meet you while you’re awake, at least.” They shook his hand once, and the one thought that flashed through Nine’s mind as they left was that the message, whatever it was, hadn’t been an order. 

He might have stayed frozen forever, if not for the commotion next to him. 

“You do _not_ call someone an it!” Cherry’s face was splotched red as she stared down at a surly male Omega. 

“But it is an it, at least that’s what my Caretaker says-“ 

Gavin quietly messed around with his craft, staring at the table. Nine had the urge to hold him, to assure him he didn’t think of him like that. 

“Zan is a valued member of our staff, and you are being deeply disrespectful.” 

“Would you like to go, Gavin?” 

Gavin nodded. He didn’t stand up, and Nines had to assist him. Gavin clung to him like he was a life-preserver. 

“Would you like to play your video games now, Gavin?” 

“Don’t wanna be here right now.”

“Alright.” 

They spent the remaining hour before Gavin’s date in Gavin’s room, Nine reading to him from the book Tina had gifted him. It was a small torture that Nine was able to read perfectly while still zoning out; the message replayed over and over in his mind. Who was watching him? And more importantly, would it even help to meet up with the Beta? His primary goal was to help Gavin, after all.

When the message in his monitor showed that Gavin’s Alpha had arrived, Nine gently roused the Omega. Gavin looked tiredly up at him, but he got up from leaning against Nine with little cajoling. Nine was almost sad to see him go. 

“You’ll be there with me the whole time, right?”

“Either me or Joshua Waters is required to chaperone you.”

“Well I want you, dumby.”

Nine smiled. “I would enjoy that, too.”

The Alpha waiting center was on the first floor, in a smaller room with paintings of couples and flowers adorning the blossom-pink walls. Gavin waited contritely on a wooden bench as Nine checked the Alpha in, playing with his hem. 

“And you are?”

“Benjamin. But you can call me Ben.” 

He checked out. “Alright. I will be chaperoning your date with Gavin.” 

Ben didn’t seem to mind, smiling and waving at Gavin from across the room. Gavin didn’t wave back. 

“Shy one, huh?”

“He warms up to people.” 

Ben made his way over, plopping down besides the Omega. “So, they tell me you like the police, right?”

Gavin only raised an eyebrow at him. Ben barreled onwards, either oblivious to Gavin’s disinterest or dangerously optimistic. “Well, I’m a police officer myself! I work right over in Detroit, actually.”

Gavin stiffened, his fingers digging into the swishy black fabric of his shirt. “Good for you.”

“Perhaps you would like to go for a walk together in the garden? He likes being outside.” While somehow Ben’s failure pleased a small part of Nine, his desire for things to go well for his Omega won the battle. 

“That would be nice, right baby?” Ben cooed, reaching out to pull Gavin upright. Gavin looked like he was contemplating staying still, but he eventually allowed himself to be lifted. 

“I’m not a baby.” Gavin’s lips pursed. 

“But you are as adorable as one.” Ben reached out to squeeze his cheek, and Gavin whined lowly as his eyes blazed. 

“Right this way, right this way!” Nine ushered both of them outside. 

The temperature was an even 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and Nine regretted not bringing Gavin a jacket. Before Gavin could protest, Ben wrapped his own jacket around Gavin’s shoulders. 

They were on a little cobblestone path, and ahead stretched a trellis of roses, red and pink and white, creating a tunnel over the path, while to the side lead to a small pond. The afternoon sun bled to evening in the sky, and the thick carpeting of roses on top of the trellis cast the tunnel in darkness. 

“Let’s head that way.” Ben got a tight grip on Gavin’s arm, leading him towards the tunnel. Gavin’s eyes locked onto it, and he shook his head as he was lead towards it. 

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” 

Gavin shook his head again, small shudders of breath leaving him as they approached the opening. Dark. Gavin was afraid of the dark. Gavin’s feet dig hard at the pathway. 

“Hey, Gav; I can make a flashlight for you-“

“Gavin?” Ben tried to tug on him gently, but Gavin seized up. 

“No. No no no no no no NOOOOOO.”

Again, Ben reaches for Gavin, a hand going to pat his shoulder, to see if he was alright. Gavin met him with his nails. 

Ben howled a curse. In a split second, Nine broadcasted a distress signal to Joshua Waters, before his system orders took over. 

[Infraction: Major  
Action: Required Immediately  
Options: Subdue and Spank]

He didn’t want to go through with it. Gavin was acting out of fear, not out of anger or malice. What he needed now was to be given the space to calm down and be comforted. 

Instead, Nine felt himself floating as his arms locked around Gavin’s middle. Gavin thrashed, and Nine’s hands slipped down his pants, allowing him one millisecond to cradle his ass before it slammed into him. 

Gavin screamed. While his arms were pinned, his legs kicked out wildly. So Nine hit him again. And again. And again. 

Until he hardly registered how bruised and hot Gavin felt to the touch, or the sick noise he made as his bottom was hit over and over and over. When Nine was finally allowed to stop, Gavin’s screams had turned to broken crying. 

His bottom was bright, burning red, heat seeping off of it. He wanted to reach out to touch it, to provide Gavin some modicum of comfort as the Burning Red “Software Instability” message etched itself into his mind over and over. But that would only hurt Gavin further. 

Gavin struggled up, and Nine released him, watching numbly as he rushed into the waiting arms of Joshua Waters. 

Every fiber of his being screamed for him to reach out. To pull Gavin to himself, to tuck his head so safely under his like the Beta did with Gavin, to rock him and mirror the murmured “Everything will be alright.” 

Instead, he sat silently, frozen and alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh we r gettin going folx!!  
Follow me on tumblr @illratte  
Twitter: @Ill_Ratte  
Please leave comments down below!  
I honestly can’t wait to see what everyone thinks uwu

Nine was in a seat, watching from the outside. 

Gavin didn’t want him. He didn’t know why Waters had made him come back with Gavin in the first place; Gavin had been crying about him, after all. And now, as Gavin curled into Waters on the nesting bed, whining even as the Beta preened over him, all Nine wanted was to forget everything. 

But he knew that wouldn’t stop it from hurting. So instead, Nine chose to watch. To bask in the pain that radiated from him, to relish the way saline tears threatened to cloud his vision whenever Gavin refused to look at him. 

It took an hour for him to kick himself out of the room. An hour spent staring listlessly at Gavin. An hour with nothing in return. 

He muttered something about finding a new change of bedsheets for Gavin, but he supposed none of them heard him. He didn’t know where to go, didn’t want to go anywhere. Instead, his feet carried him to the tech room. 

The tech room was in the basement, through a shiny gray door and down a flight of concrete stairs. Nine’s steps ricocheted off the wall. At the bottom of the stairs, the entrance branched into a hallway. Gray tile lined the floor, with concrete walls painted in a soft, springy green. The lights shining down on the floor were yellow, apparently to give a more “natural” appearance to the lighting. Instead, Nine noted that it only worked to cast the hallway in a dingy sheen. 

On the right was the door to the laundry room, made from faux-oak wood and hanging loosely in the frame as busy Betas bustled in and out, arms filled with bags of cloth. He should have walked over, could have stopped any one of them for assistance. 

Instead, Nine found himself in front of the door on the left. It stood tall, crafted from metal and with a slick silver touchpad, for fingerprints, where the handle should have been. Nine knocked twice, feeling silly. 

He was just about to turn around when the door opened, sliding into the side of a wall with a soft “whoosh”. Zan stared up at him, arms crossed, a bit of a smile on their face. “Glad to see you, Nine. I see you’re here for your check-up?”

Nine cocked his head. “Check-up?”

“I suppose it’s embarrassing, with you being a prototype, so I won’t go into detail until we’re in private.” Zan stepped aside, motioning for Nine to enter. 

Nine hadn’t had many expectations about the tech room. While he held most knowledge pertaining to the institution, from the floor plan to its personnel to the prescribed care for Omegas, he realized he had not been given the schematics for the tech room. 

It was small, with TVs mounted on the wall, displaying different rooms, from the kitchens where the androids toiled away making breakfast, to the laundry room, where androids and Betas labored side by side. Two swivel chairs and two desks sat in front of the monitors. Two doorways led away from the main room. 

“So you watch everything?”

“No, just the androids. They have a security room elsewhere, which watches most of everything. I’m in charge of android affairs, so I make sure there aren’t any snags or glitches when it comes to them.”

Nine felt a strange sensation overtake him, like hot and cold, at “glitches”. What else could a software instability be? “You have a partner?” He pointed at the second chair. 

“That’s Donny’s; he’s home right now. He’s not live-in like I am.” 

Nine nodded, realizing one of the doors opened on a bed. It seemed cramped, from what he guessed of the possible size, and it felt strange to think a human would consent to live here. Even the Omega rooms were bigger than that.

“Come on, we’ll commence the test in here.” Zan pointed to their room. 

It felt… wrong for Nine to impose on somewhere so private. Still, he followed; it seemed like a sign of “glitches” to care. 

The room was as small as he had thought, only a bed, a desk lamp, and a desk populating it. “What are we-“

The door shut tight, and Zan sighed. “You seem nervous, Nine.”

“I am not nervous. I am an android.”

They only smirked. “Then why did you come here?”

“What do you mean?”

“You weren’t ordered to. You might have even reported me, for putting strange messages on your system.”

“Who are you?” Nine narrowed his eyes. Intellectually, he knew the Beta worked for the facility. And yet, what did they really want? 

“I created you. Well, not the base, but your programming. There is no android quite like you, Nine.”

“What do you mean?” He felt dizzy. 

“A synthetic Alpha. I mean, some do have the strength, the rage of one, even the equipment. But not the emotions, the drive to protect.” 

“I do not have emotions. I am simply programmed to keep Gavin happy.” He fought the urge to clench his palm. 

“Well, not at first, I’ll give you that. But I’ve seen you. You actually care about him.” Zan went quiet for a moment, as if in thought. Then, “Gavin is also a very special Omega. Most of the world agrees that the way the United States Of America treats Omegas is far from humane. While making up a good 7% of the population, Omegas are treated like children. Worse than, even; you at least teach your children here how to read. For the past twenty years, people have tried to intervene. But they get to Omegas so young here, right at presentation. It’s indoctrination. Because how can you save an Omega that doesn’t want to be saved?” 

Nine wanted to step away, but he couldn’t. 

“Of course, some Omegas do fight back. Try to slip away. They do horrible things to their bodies.” Zan rubbed their wrist, where a little white scar was, as they said it. “Some call it mutilation. Others call it freedom.” 

“Freedom?”

“To be unhindered. They… don’t like those Omegas. But Gavin, he’s… intact. A young, somewhat conventionally attractive male Omega, who held and succeeded at a relatively respectful job. He’s a bit ‘uppity’, sure, but I’m sure he’ll rise to the occasion if he knows what’s at stake.” Zan sounded more like they were talking to themself than to him. 

“What are you talking about?” He felt the sand hot and cold pubs racing across his processors. 

“Gavin Reed is the perfect picture of what an Omega could be, if they were just allowed to enter society. Why do you think they’re trying to mate him off so quickly? 7 mates in 6 months is hardly normal. They’re afraid of what he signifies, and they want him gone.” 

“Do you mean they’ll…”

“No. They want to show that he needs an Alpha to function. That this was a fluke.” Their fingers played with the metal cuff as they talked, twirling it listlessly. 

“Why should I trust you, then? And what if I just reported everything?” Nine thought he was approaching the closest an android could to being ill. 

“I didn’t order you to come here, did I? I don’t force you to hurt Gavin. And if you were really going to report me, you would have done so already. You’re curious, Nine. And you’re afraid. Afraid of what they’ll make you do.” 

“What do you want from me, then? If you pull all the strings…”

“Your cooperation. And Gavin needs to be… prepared. He’s in danger of regressing, if he stays here long enough. Keep him sane. And…” Zan ushered him out with a swish of their hand. Nine could have stayed, could have asked more, but Nine’s mind reeled. 

|Meet me here tomorrow same time for further instructions. As of now, do Not tell Gavin.|   
“Remember to get new bedsheets.”

———————————-

It seemed sleep had done Gavin’s mood some good. The Omega only glared at him a little when he approached, stuffing his face back into the bedsheets. Nine had opted for pinstriped gray and blue, with little flying saucers. It was the least juvenile set he could find. 

Waters was still there, having slept there overnight. Nine squinted at him, scanning deep in his file. He had been Gavin’s personal Caregiver for the past six months, and he seemed to love him. Gavin seemed to return the affection. 

He only groaned a little, in the way children did, when Waters pulled the Omega onto his lap, or lapped at the scent glands in his neck. Gavin was… happy with him, wasn’t he? Certainly more happy than he was with Nind. 

“Would you like to go to breakfast now, Gavin?”

“Noooooooo.”

“Breakfast in bed?” 

“....... maybe.”

“You’re a spoiled brat, aren’t you? Giving Daddy the run around?” 

“‘Daddy’ can bite my-“

“‘Daddy’ will get you only cold oatmeal if you finish that sentence, Gavin.” Nine warned. He did Not like the tone Gavin had taken. The… malice in his eyes. 

Gavin went pink, but it seemed to get through to him. 

After breakfast, and with lots of hugging and smothering, Waters left. 

As soon as the Beta was out of the room, Gavin scrubbed furiously at where he had been kissed, plopping back down on his nesting bed. 

“What would you like to do today, Gavin? We have an hour of excercise we need to complete, but after that-“

“No. We tried it your way, and that ended with you hitting my ass.” 

“Gavin-“

“NO.” Gavin grabbed his book, flipping it open while he flipped Nine off. 

“Would you like to have your video game time?”

“Now now? No exercising first?”

“No. No exercising first.” 

He held out his hand to Gavin. Gavin didn’t take it, but he did file obediently out of the door with Nine. 

The rec room was close to empty when they entered. Gavin dashed to one of the largest TVs, pulling up one of the more violent video games. Nine pushed away the Caregiver Warning Alerts. 

As Gavin played, Nine reviewed his past few days with Gavin. Was Gavin happy? He certainly hadn’t been after the spanking. But he enjoyed being held and fussed over, and even pampered by Nine, and Gavin’s problems were serious. 

[Insufficient Data]

“Do you like Joshua Waters, Gavin?”

Gavin went pink again, but his eyes remained fastened to the screen. “Not as much as I like Tina. He… sticks up for me, I guess. Doesn’t let anyone Misgender me. Even if he tries to treat me like a baby half the time.” 

“And your OCD… was caused by your time as a police officer?”

“This twenty questions or something? And yeah, I guess… it didn’t help, at any rate.”

Nine’s LED spun red. “Just two, Gavin.” 

“Ok weirdo.” Gavin’s face glowed with a grin as he got in a headshot, Red splattering the screen. 

Nine gave Gavin two hours of play, watching furtively to ascertain no Caregiver saw quite what game Gavin was playing. As the time elapsed, Gavin allowed Nine to perch on the arm of the sofa beside him. 

“I think it’s time for a break, Gavin.”

“You ruin everything. I guess it’s the gym now?”

“Not everything. And… how about a walk instead? You could use some fresh air.” 

“They’ll let me.”

“Better to ask forgiveness than seek permission.”

“But aren’t you sposed to obey all the dumb center rules?”

“I… my main directive is to keep you happy, Gavin. This will not conflict with that.” It wasn’t; it was to keep Gavin safe and under control, but Gavin didn’t need to know that.

“Sure, Fine. Just don’t push me into any puddles, ok?” 

“Only if you don’t throw things at me.”

The air was cool when they finally stepped outside, Nine’s internal thermometer clocking it in as 63 degrees Fahrenheit. He almost thought he could feel it, too, with the way the air, just having rained, rested so heavily on him. 

“It’s nice out here, isn’t it? Quiet, calm, serene.”

“Nerd. Smells like rain. I like that.” Gavin kicked at a sagging bush, giggling when it splashed water back at him. 

“Petrichor, I believe.”

“Hardly know her.” Gavin snickered. 

“Hardly know- Nevermind. Did you like to go outside a lot, before?”

“Before all of this shit went down? I guess, yeah. Helped me think stuff out on cases.”

“Cases? Did it ever drain you?” 

“Yeah. But… I was helping people. Trans people like me, Omegas like me. Which is way more than what I’m doing in this shithole.” Gavin kicked a rock, watching it roll across the grass. 

“You liked it? Even if it hurt you?”

“Well, it’s the right thing to do, isn’t it? Even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Was it?

Nine spent the rest of the walk in silence. He didn’t want to hurt Gavin. To push him into something he wasn’t ready for. But what did Gavin really want? 

More than ever, he wanted to reach out, to hold Gavin. To tell him everything and beg for his advice. But he didn’t. 

As the re-entered the building, a message flashed through Nine. 

[Important: Suitor For Gavin Reed waiting in Alpha Visiting Center  
Dresscode: Come as you Are  
Time: Immediately]

It seemed, the moment to fess up had passed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always.... please comment!  
Tumblr: @illratte  
Twitter: @Ill_Ratte  
And as a reminder, if you ever want me to write smthing for you, feel free to dm me on either site to hash out details *wink*

Nine didn’t know what to expect from Gavin’s new suitor. Someone serious and imposing enough to be worthy of such a quick summoning. Someone older, someone powerful. 

Instead, seated in the foyer, was a man about Gavin’s age. He had long black hair, shaved on the sides, and piercing blue eyes. Unlike Ben, he wore jeans and a flannel shirt, and the glasses pushed up against his nose made him look both approachable and kind. Nine smiled at him, the hand resting on Gavin’s back pushing the Omega forwards lightly. 

“Hey, Gavin.” The Alpha waved, flashing straight white teeth. Gavin smiled thinly and didn’t wave back. 

“A shy one, are you? That’s ok. Want a seat?” He slid to the side, patting the seat beside him. Gavin sat across from him, crossing his arms after pulling Nine down beside himself. 

“Who are you?” Gavin asked. A small box flickered in Nine’s vision telling him to reprimand Gavin for his lack of manners, but he ignored it. 

“I’m Elijah. And I think you know why I’m here.” 

“Well, Yeah; even another Omega isn’t that phucking stupid.”

Elijah laughed. “I suppose not. Well, since I’m the one imposing on you, I suppose I should give you a choice. How would you like to get to know each other?” 

Gavin looked like he was actually considering the idea. “Let me guess, you won’t take no for an answer, right? Then… how about a movie? Or video games. Think they have a room for that, right?” Gavin looked at Nine then. 

“Yes; they do have a special room for any Omegas who want to watch TV with their visiting Alphas. Shall I take you the  
“Sure.” Gavin nodded, grabbing his hand and allowing himself to be led. Elijah attempted to make small talk with him on the way there, but Gavin only offered one-word grunts as responses. 

The Alpha TV room was cozy, tucked a little ways off from the main Alpha meeting center. The floor had thick white carpeting, and the walls were a pale pink. A red couch with three seat cushions sat in the center, draped in white blankets and heart-shaped cushions. The TV was mounted on the wall facing it, with a box of video games and controllers underneath. 

“Movie or Game?” Nine asked, crouching in front of the box. 

“You come to this room often?” Elijah asked. 

“Nah; just know of it. The others I’ve met only wanted to do boring shit.”

“Ahh. They were all older, I suppose?” 

“Yeah. Stuffy as all hell. I can’t believe ANYONE thought I’d want to be mates with them.”

That made Elijah chuckle. “I can certainly understand why.”

Nine looked back. Gavin had seated himself on the cushion next to Elijah, and Elijah’s arm was dangerously close to wrapping around him. Something like pain hit Nine in his middle. “Remember, only light touching is allowed.” 

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable, Gavin.” Elijah smiled pleasantly, and somehow that only made the feeling in Nine Worse. 

“Uhh, movie is fine. Watcha wanna watch, ‘Lijah?” 

“What about I, robot? Or war of the worlds? Or do you have something else in mind?”

“Mars attacks!” 

Elijah snorted. “Mars attacks it is. Can you put it on for us?” 

Nine nodded, turning on the TV and picking the movie from the directory. It wasn’t exactly slated for Omega Consumption, but he turned it on anyways before sliding into the seat next to Gavin. 

As the movie played, Nine laid his hand over Gavin’s shoulders. It wasn’t exactly what a caretaker was allowed to do on a date, but Gavin didn’t mind. He leaned into the touch, and Nines began to “absentmindedly” rub his back. “Feels nice.” Gavin murmured, twitching his feet happily and leaning back into him. 

Elijah looked over at the murmuring, before Nine could pull back his hand. His blue eyes narrowed at the android, but he said nothing, patting Gavin firmly on the thigh. As the credits rolled, Elijah stood. “Did you have fun, Gavin?”

Gavin nodded. “You’re nicer than most Alphas, I’ll give you that.”

“I try. I suppose you’ll be wanting to get back to your day? I apologize for taking you from them so suddenly, by the way.” 

“It’s fine. It was a nice change of pace, actually. Sometimes it feels like I’m rotting in here.”

Elijah nodded, giving Gavin a one-armed hug and asking permission to see him again before leaving.

“Would you like to head back to your room, Gavin?” Nine asked quietly. 

“Maybe. Unless, do they have another couple using this room?”

Nine checked the log. “I don’t think so. Why?”

“Well then it’s technically still ours, right? No one can bother us in here, at least.” 

“I suppose.”

“Then let’s watch another movie!” 

“We could do it in the common room.”

“Why? It’s much more private in here, so I won’t have to watch dumbass baby movies.”

Nine nodded. He was both relieved and disappointed that that was Gavin’s only reason. And something dark and cold gnawed at him because of his disappointment. 

“Of course. What movie?”

They ended up squeezing in two movies before Gavin’s dinner, both bloody enough for Nine to question if Gavin still had an appetite. Throughout both movies, Nine remained stiffly separate from Gavin. 

“Do we have to go to dinner?”

“Popcorn and candy is no substitute for a meal, Gavin.” Nine grabbed his arm, first softly, as to ask permission, then firmer as Gavin leaned in to the touch. “We need to get some real food in you.” 

“Popcorn is real food. But whatever.”

The dining hall was emptier than when Nine and Gavin usually went to dinner, only a few Omegas and Caretakers milling around at the tables. Gavin made to sit as far away as possible, plopping down at the end of one of the long tables with his tray. 

As he began to eat, someone else sat in front of him. “Hi! I’m Laurie!” She gave him a little wave. 

Gavin’s lips curled back. “Hi.” 

“Why are you sitting all alone? Don’t you get bored?” 

“No. Got my friend here to keep me company.” He jabbed his fork at Nine before sticking it in his mouth. Nine smiled and waved at the Omega. 

“Oh! He’s your caretaker, right? Is he an android?”

“Uhh… I guess. And yeah, Nine is an android. I’ve got a human caretaker too, a Beta, but he’s probably assigned to someone else now.”

“That’s really cool! My caretaker is a nightmare, honestly! All she does is order me around.” 

“Yeah, mine used to be like that too. But Nine is nice. He lets me get away with a lot of shit that my old one didn’t.”

“And he’s a good friend too, right? I wish I had a friend for my caretaker. Or just a friend…”

“I’m sure you’ll find one.” Gavin trailed off, picking at his food. 

“I mean, I’ve only been here a week. But it’s just so lonely! I know every Omega has to go through this, but I wish I could just find my mate already.”

“How old are you?” Gavin gripped his fork, stabbing into the plate. 

“Oh, I’m 18! My birthday was two weeks ago, and it took a week for everything to be processed.”

“Jesus Christ, they got you that young?”

“Young?”

“You should be back with your family. Or at least away from this shithole.” 

Laurie flinched. “It’s not bad! Isn’t this one of the better places? And… at least we’re not out on the street, right? Here we don’t have to worry about anything!”

“Wouldn’t you rather have a little worry than be stuck in here forever?”

Before Laurie could answer, a stern looking Beta slid in beside her. “What are you nattering on about, Laurie? I got the salt that you asked for, now eat your meal.” 

“I’m tired. Let’s go.” Gavin stood. 

“Alright.” Nine sighed, grabbing his tray for him. “Do you really hate it that much here?” He asked quietly. 

“It’s hell. Anything would be better than this. They’re- they’re barely more than children here, Nine. It’s fucked up.”

Nine didn’t scold him for swearing. 

They had bathtime afterwards, Gavin sitting listlessly in the tub, not even flinching as Nine massaged the outside of his cunt with a washcloth. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to add a cap of bubbles?” He asked. 

“I’m sure.” Gavin nodded. 

Bedtime was the same, Gavin only needing a stuffed animal (a white bellies alligator with baby blue and pink stripes) and a few pages of his book to nod off. 

At 1:30 am on the dot, Nine found himself back in front of Zan’s door.

He knocked once, and the door opened. “The RK900. Come in. Why don’t you step into my room, and we can run some more tests.” Zan looked tired. 

Nine stepped inside, heading to the little room. Wrappers gathered around a bin, and Zan hurriedly kicked them aside as they came in. 

“What do you want me to do?”

“Help me Help you.” Zan smirked. “You’re keeping tabs on Gavin, correct? Keeping him sane?”

“I suppose so.”

“That’s step one, isn’t it?”

“Then What’s step two?”

“Get him out.”

“How?”

“I’m head of android security. There are ways.”

“What ways?” He stared down at Zan. 

“Look, they could search your memory at any time. I’d rather not broadcast this places weak points until we’re ready.”

“But if they search me you’ll go down either way.” 

“There will always be others. Do you really think I’m acting alone? Look, these are the conditions, take it or leave it.” 

Did he? Zan hardly seemed in touch with the outside world. But if Zan was planning on helping Gavin escape, they’d have to be. “Fine.”

“I’ll tell you when things are in order. In the meantime, just keep an eye on him for me.”

As Nine hurried out of the room, another notification popped into view. 

[Suitor Meeting for Gavin Reed  
Dress: Casual  
Time: 1:30 pm]

It seemed there would be no rest for Gavin.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see? Not as long as it could have been, thankfully :P   
Enjoy, and be sure to leave a comment!   
Tumblr: @illratte  
Twitter: @Ill_Ratte

“Another fuckin date?” Gavin growled to Nines, laying back on the bed. “We just had a date yesterday! This is bullshit.” 

“Do you not want to go on it?” Nine sighed. He wanted to reach out and caress him, to see how the warmth that thrummed through him at the mention of Gavin’s reluctance would react to touching him, but a red, glowing barrier still stood in the way. 

“... No. He’s at least better than the other Alphas, right? I might as well not chance it.”

“Alright, if you insist. Would you like help getting ready?”

“Sure, Whatever. Just make me look decent, ok?” 

“By your standards or mine?” Nine grinned.

In the end, he dressed Gavin in a pale green button-down with dark pink lilies, mussing his hair up only a little when Gavin complained. 

“What? It’s cute.”

“You think I’m cute?” Gavin laughed. “That’s kind of gay.” 

“Gay?” 

“Like… you wanna do the fuck with me. That kind of gay, dumbass.”

“Sex?? I mean, I suppose I am programmed to take care of your heats for you, at least until you find a mate…” Was the room hot? The temperature read 71 degrees Fahrenheit, the specified temperature for all Omega rooms. Still, some strange heat itched across his synthetic skin, and Nine rubbed at the wrist of his shirt. 

“Yeah. Sex. Do I make your penis hard?” 

“That is inappropriate.” Nine sputtered, going rigid. 

“Whaat?” Gavin grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at him. “Are you a prude, Nine? Is that why you didn’t want Tina to give me porn? Or why you always turn around when I masturbate? Or does the sound of my clit sucker 900 ~scare~ you?”

“It is simply improper for me to intrude upon such private moments.” He remembered, with a mixture of exhilaration and horror, the first time he had walked in on Gavin with his fingers knuckle-deep in his cunt. 

“Why? I mean, you’re gonna fuck me anyways. You see it as some chore or something?” While Gavin’s eyes had narrowed, one eyebrow remaining raised. 

“It’s not that.” He muttered. He was glad, in that moment, that androids couldn’t blush. 

“Then what is it?” Gavin crossed his arms over his chest. The humor from before was gone, only calculation in its place. 

“We are friends. Friends don’t often watch each other masturbate.”

“But we’re not friends. You’re an android designed to be my caretaker and to fuck me. You don’t care about my feelings. You just care about keeping me in line.” 

Nine wanted Gavin to be angry. Instead, he just looked tired. A thousand seconds passed in one as Nine searches for anything to say. All he could think of were lies. 

“Why don’t we get you to your date, then? If you feel so strongly about this.”

“I don’t. It’s just a fucking fact.” Gavin’s lips worked like he wanted to say something else. 

“Fine. But we’re going.” His hand latched around Gavin’s arm, digging in and yanking him towards the door. Just a little extra force sent the touch into the territory of hurt. 

Nine heard the punch more than he felt it. It didn’t hurt him, the only real sensation being heat suddenly radiating from his cheek, but it was disjointed. Jarring. Something that shouldn’t have been. 

He pieced the events together when he looked down. Gavin clutched his fist, fingers twitching. His foot was forward. 

The fear on Gavin’s face was far more painful than if Nine had been a human receiving the punch. 

Red clouded his vision. Boxes upon boxes of suggestions and warnings, the largest a dark blue, almost like blood,   
[Software Instability].   
Nine stepped forward, unformed words swirling around his voice box. Gavin flinched back. 

“Don’t hurt me!” He mouthed. 

Everything went black. 

——————-

The distress had caused a crash. That was the only explanation that came to Nine as his eyesight flickered back online. 

Everything felt stiff, even though he knew it couldn’t be. Nine raised his head from where it had slumped. How long had he been rebooting? And where was Gavin?

A quick scan of the room showed Gavin huddled on the center of his nesting bed. He firmly clasped the Charizard Plushie in his arms, stroking one of the wings with the tips of his fingers. 

“Are you alright, Gavin?”

Gavin didn’t answer. 

“We- Do you want me to cancel your date?”

A silence. Then, “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“They’ll know something’s wrong if I do”. Gavin sounded resigned. 

Nine watched as he tentatively stepped off of the bed, eyes trained on him. “You won’t hurt me, right?”

“I’m sorry I was harsh.”

“You’re an Android. You can’t be sorry.” Gavin said as he fiddled with the Charizard. He grabbed a sweatshirt to put over his button-down, stuffing the Charizard inside of it. “I’m ready.”

Nine wanted to refute him, but something sickened inside of him at the thought of Gavin not agreeing. “Alright.”

Elijah sat in the Alpha Waiting Room, thumbing through a magazine. He was better dressed than yesterday, in a blue plaid flannel and black dress pants. “Gavin.” He gave the Omega a smile as he stepped into view, enveloping him in a one-armed hug. 

Nine stood back, hands studiously behind his back. 

“And we can't forget Nine, can we?” Elijah extended his hand towards him. 

Nine stared before taking it, limply allowing Elijah to move him before he let go. 

“Never shook hands before?” Elijah laughed. 

“I have not.”

“It’s a skill. And, what have you been up to, Gavin?”

“Nothing, really. It’s only been a day since I’ve seen you.”

“Well, I could hardly wait. Would you like to join me for another movie? Or perhaps a video game this time.”

“Why? I can play all the games I want without you.” Gavin crossed his arms, glaring up at Elijah. Nine grimaced behind him. 

To his credit, Elijah wasn’t deterred. “That’s fair, I suppose. Is there anything you’d like to do that would be better with a partner? Though I suppose you do always have Nine to play with…” 

“Not really; he’s just a dumb android. And there isn’t anything to do here.”

“I see. Well… what about outside of here?” 

Gavin raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, as long as we get permission, which we will, and as long as Nine comes with us, we could go on a date outside of the center.” 

“Anywhere?” He mouthed. The way Gavin’s eyes lit up made something flutter inside of Nine. 

“Well, Anywhere public in Detroit. And we’d have to be back by tonight. But yes, Anywhere.”

“You’re not fucking with me, right? You won’t pull this out from under me at the last minute?” 

“Of course not, Gavin,” Elijah’s eyes twinkled. “I could never dream of doing that.”

The car ride into the city was especially unpleasant for Nine. Gavin still refused to talk to him, and as he was seated next to him, that left staring out of the window as Elijah flirted with Gavin. It was a hard feat, considering he was in the front seat with the driver, but he still managed. 

It almost didn’t hit him that it was the first time he had ever been out of the facility when he stepped out of the car. Detroit felt different, overwhelming. With no clear rules or patterns. His database, usually so vast, only pulled up surface level information on the city. 

“Where’d you like to go, sweetheart?” Elijah asked. 

“Sweetheart? That’s new. And… I suppose you can’t take me to a bar, right?”

Elijah laughed. “Not yet, at any rate. How about a museum? You strike me as a fan of the fine arts.”

Gavin laughed. “Nerd. What about an arcade then? Or mini golf. I think there’s a place like that not far from here.” 

Nine pulled up a map of the city. One place with both popped up, 10 minutes walk away. “If you follow me, I can lead us.”

Gavin pressed his lips together and nodded. “Show us the way, then.”

The building was older, the outside painted bright blue like a beach. A neon sign announced “Arcade. Mini Golf. Ice cream.” In green. 

Nine pushed open the door, holding it for Elijah and Gavin to enter. He didn’t miss how Elijah grabbed Gavin’s hand, or how Gavin didn’t push it away. 

“Arcade or mini golf first?”

“Arcade.” 

“I’ll get us some quarters, ok?”

Nine stood back as Elijah pointed to the claw machine. “Do you want something from there, sweetheart?”

Gavin’s eyes fastened on a calico cat stuffed between two rabbits. “That one! The kitty!” 

“That’s a good choice. Thought you’d be a fan of the Pokémon, though.”

“Already have him. And the kitty is a classic, anyways.”

Elijah nodded. It took five tries, Elijah’s brows screwed in concentration, before he stopped. 

Gavin patted his arm. “It’s alright, really; you can just earn me something with ski ball tickets or something.”

Elijah nodded. As the two occupied themselves with the other machines, Nine slunk forwards. The only attendant, a man in his mid forties, was playing on his phone behind the counter. He wouldn’t care. 

Thankfully, the claw machine was newer. He pressed his hand to the machine, closing his eyes as he took control. He had known his powers of interfacing were strong, with him being able to control elevators and doors when allowed, but this was different. 

Entirely unscripted, uncharted territory. He didn’t want to think about the consequences if he was caught. 

With him in control, the claw closed around the cat easily, snatching her up and dropping her into the chute. He remembered just in time to switch off the “Winner!” Sound bite. 

The cat felt softer than he had expected. Almost alive, as his hands closed around it. He gave the fur a good stroke before placing it behind his back. 

As Elijah turned in the tickets, Nine sidled up to Gavin. 

“What?” He mouthed. Wordlessly, Nine pressed the cat into his palm. 

Gavin cocked his head, staring before stuffing it into his pocket. “... Thank you.”

Nine became uncomfortably aware of Elijah’s eyes on him. 

As they made their way out the door to the mini golf course, a bagful of candy and Knicknacks stashed in Gavin’s arms, Elijah fell into step besides Nine. 

“Gavin, why don’t you give those to me and go to the practice court?”

Gavin nodded, dumping the bag into his arms before dashing off. 

“Is there something you want?” Nine asked. His tongue felt like lead. 

“Is there something you want?” Elijah chuckled. 

“I don’t understand.”

“Are you enjoying yourself, Nine?”

“I’m an android. I don’t experience enjoyment.”

“Bullshit.” Elijah laughed, and the feeling in Nine eased. “As the so-called ‘Father Of Androids’, and as a human being, I know there’s more going on in there than what everyone thinks. It’s not a crime to be jealous, Nine.”

“The father of what?” He blinked. The fact that Elijah knew, but didn’t care, both elated and unsettled him, yet that assertion stood out the most. 

“Of Androids. I mean, I’m Elijah Kamski.” A grin teased his face. “Are kids these days so quick to forget their father?”

Nine’s mind races as he searched every database. No returns for Elijah Kamski or android creator. The only listing was Zan. 

“But-“

Elijah just raised an eyebrow. The smirk was still present. “You really don’t know me? Damn, that’s hurtful. Must be a remnant of the infestation.”

“Infestation?”

“I doubt you’d have heard of it. Not too long ago, your Omega center had some problems. Radicals on the inside. They threatened to blow everything up if the Omegas weren’t ‘liberated’. As you can imagine, the government cracked down on them hard; none were left over.”

“None?”

“Or so they said. But who can trust the government, these days? We should get going; you wouldn’t want to keep Gavin waiting, would you?”

Nine spent the rest of the date in silence. Zan had lied to him. What kind of help would he even give for Gavin?

At the entrance to the Omega Center, Nine Waite as Gavin and Elijah said their goodbyes. 

“Will I see you again tomorrow?”

“Only if you want to.”

Gavin grabbed him in a hug. “I do. Today was… really fun, actually?”

“Just glad you got all those toys, aren’t you?” Elijah pressed a kiss onto the crown of Gavin’s head. Nine tried not to wince. 

“Maaaaybe!” Gavin snickered, sticking his tongue out. “You can get me more tomorrow.”

“It’s time to go in.” Nine said. 

“Alright, alright, Tin Can.” Gavin waved at Elijah as they walked back inside. Once the Alpha had stopped looking, Gavin reached into his sweatshirt, cradling the calico cat almost reverently in his hands.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh trigger warnings for some misgendering and mentions of corrective rape in this chapter   
Anyways remember to leave a comment!!

“Nine. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Zan had opened the door after some prompting, and was currently staring out at Nine. 

“I’m sure you didn’t. It’s not like you keep surveillance on all of this building.”

“Just the androids. And you shouldn’t be here.”

“Who’s that?” Someone called out from behind Zan. Nine craned his neck, peering into the gloom. 

[Name: Daniel Zorca  
Age: 27  
Occupation: Assistant android tech]

Daniel looked his age, with messy black hair and a face half-obscured by boxy glasses. 

“Just an android, Dan. He’s had some calibration problems in the past, and he comes in for checkups sometimes.”

“Does it always stare like that? Maybe you should get it checked out.” 

“He’s just being rude and barging in unannounced. I’m sure he’ll leave when asked.”

“I’m sure it understands you so well, Zan. Just like a person would. Or a dog. Because it’s being so rude on purpose.” 

Zan looked like they wanted to roll their eyes. “Perhaps it’s my own hand coming back to bite me.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Said Daniel. 

“It’s a metaphor. It’s not supposed to.” 

“May we calibrate in private?” Nine interjected. He tapped his foot like he had seen Gavin doing when Gavin wanted something. 

Daniel made a sound like he was choking. “What exactly does this ‘calibration’ entail? Is that why everyone gives you those looks?”

Zan stiffened. “You know why, Dan. And no. Go back to your person or whatever.” They accompanied it with a gesticulation, their right wrist colliding with his arm. 

| Meet me back here TONIGHT.   
1:30 am.   
Dan will be gone|

Nine grimaced at them. He wanted to shake them, to demand answers. The image of them cowering flashed through his mind, and he shut down his preconstruction. He turned around, letting the door bang on his way out. 

Zan was hiding from him. He knew it. Something boiled away inside of him, and he felt his jaw component grind inside of his mouth. His steps clattered against the floor as he strode back upstairs. It seemed that for now he was alone in helping Gavin. 

—————

Gavin stared tiredly at him from the bed. It was 6:30 am, far before Gavin’s usual wake up, and yet watery green eyes peered out from the gloom. Gavin still clutched the Calico Cat in his arms. “Where were you, Nine?” He asked. 

“Getting sheets.” Nine replied automatically. 

“Where are they?” Sleep had left Gavin’s voice, and the man struggled upright in his bed. 

“I… there were none available. At least, none in a pattern suitable for your tastes.”

“Sure.” Gavin crossed his arms. He would have looked ridiculous, with his Spider-Man pajamas and mussed up hair, along with the stuffed animal crushed between his arms, except for the fact that Nine realized he cared deeply about what Gavin thought of him. “I suppose the largest Omega holding facility just ran out of bedsheets.” 

“What are you implying?” 

“You’ve been sneaking off to god knows where.”

“I just told you, Gavin; I was getting bedsheets. I’m just a machine, remember? All I’m doing is following my orders to keep you safe.” The words hurt coming out of him. As he said it, he looked straight at Gavin, eyes trained on him while his frown remained impassive. 

“Your orders, huh? I- I fuckin knew it!” Gavin’s arms tightened, and the head of the calico bugged out like it would pop. “You’re always sneaking off just to tell on me, right? S’not like you don’t do it every second of every goddamn day.”

“I’m not ‘telling’ on you, Gavin. I am simply keeping you safe.” 

“Ok, Nanny Bot. Whatever you say.” Gavin rolled his eyes. “Lemme guess, you’re gonna make me get all dolled up for my date because you care about me so much? Gonna keep tabs on me like a total freak? Maybe even short circuit in a little fit if Elijah so much as touches my ass?”

“Gavin. I am simply following my orders-“

“Of course you are, robot.”

“- to keep you safe.”

“From who? Elijah? He’s the only one who actually listens to me in this shithole!” Gavin’s face burned red, his chest heaving. 

“I listen to you! I- I-“ _Care about you- adore you- I lo-_

“If you really listened to me, then you’d tell me where you were. We’re, you said we were friends, right? Like a team? Friends trust each other, Nine. Friends don’t keep each other in the dark, even if they are just lowly Omegas.” 

A knife had been shoved through Nine’s torso. That was the only explanation for the sudden, searing pain inside of him. He looked down, blinking at the lack of a visible wound. He couldn’t tell Gavin. Not here, certainly, and maybe not ever. They were watching him, both of them, and what could he say, anyways? That the only chance of escape for Gavin had come from the mouth of a liar? “I was at the laundry room, getting new linens. It was like I told you, Gavin.” 

Gavin swallowed. Nine hadn’t realized he was crying. “Alright, then. If that’s all you’re willing to tell me. I have a date to prepare for, and I would appreciate some privacy. Please.” 

“Gavin-“

“Please.” Gavin slumped back onto the bed. The calico cat dropped from his arms, turning over as it crashed to the floor. 

—————————————————

Nine found Zan in the Activity Center. They stood a ways away from the table, watching as a group of Omegas completed a craft. Nine rested opposite them, waiting to be noticed. It didn’t take long. 

“Messed up again?” Zan mock-frowned. Their shoulders slumped in a good-natured manner. 

“One of us, at least.”

“Harsh, but fair, I suppose. How’s the Omega?” They waggled their eyebrows. 

“Gavin is upset.”

“Can’t blame him.”

“We should go somewhere more private.” 

“I already told you, I’m free later.” 

“Now. Or would your superiors like to hear about you?” Something cold buzzed inside of himself as Nine said it. The fear that flashed through Zan’s eyes didn’t make it better. 

“Outside. Let’s see how you handle the terrain out there. Ok?”

Zan didn’t talk until they were a ways away from the building. Their eyes still strayed back to the compound, going through the motions of pretending to calibrate Nine. 

“You know, you could have waited until I told you. Do you really think they won’t be suspicious of us together?”

Nine breathed in, relishing at least the relief to his internal parts. “What? Because you’re the last of the radicals, right?” 

“How do you know about that?” 

“Kamski told me. About other things, too. What help can you really offer us, Zan?” 

“Access to all of the androids here.”

“And then what? Who’ll be waiting for us? Will we just get shot down right after we escape?”

Zan stiffened. “I’m working on it”

“Sure. Because if you’re so connected, you have to wait this long just to get help from your own people.”

They didn’t say anything. “Look. I’ve had a few setbacks, sure, but it’s hard here. They don’t want to talk to me.”

“Why? Angry because you survived and others didn’t?” A thought crossed Nine, and everything fell into place. “Or because you were too cowardly to do anything while everyone else died?” 

“You know nothing of cowardice.” Zan’s face still looked impassive, but their lip had curled in the slightest degree. 

“What? You were too afraid, weren’t you, to do anything that would paint a target on your own back.”

“You don’t understand. What I’ve been through, what I’ve sacrificed, what it took to even sit in that room. We weren’t ready to make a move, Nine. People died, but no one hadn’t been willing to.” 

“Really? Then why not you? And why have you been keeping things from me?” 

“You’re an unknown factor. I had to guide you.” A sickly smile crossed their face. “See, it’s all about perception. People, including you, see me as a Beta. Impartial, level-headed, both fit for leadership and unassuming. I’ve worked hard to cultivate this image.” Their hands ghosted over the scars on their wrists again, and Nine flinched. “And I couldn’t let your curiosity get in the way of that. For what it’s worth, I am sorry. Kamski may have created the blueprint for androids, but I’m the one who made you who you are. You just have to access it.”

“I’m leaving.” Said Nine. He turned to go, and Zan’s wrist brushed against his. A quick flash of blue lit up his eyes, |Access Granted|, and he yanked his wrist away, stalking back to the building. “I want nothing to do with a coward.” The irony didn’t escape his own ears. 

————————

Gavin looked beautiful. Better than beautiful. He wasn’t wearing a t-shirt, like Nine had suspected. This one had a collar, and little yellow flowers on a washed-out blue base. The pants were a little tight, black jeans that hugged his hips and bottom, and Nine suspected Gavin wasn’t wearing a binder under his shirt, with the way his tits swelled beneath the fabric. It was strangely feminine choice, but Elijah seemed to like it. Gavin looked cute, clean cut, and perhaps a little disheveled, like Elijah had tousled his hair goodnaturedly at least once. 

Of course, that was all eclipsed by the fact that Elijah’s lips were currently locked with Gavin’s. As the Alpha’s hands cupped his backside, kneading at Gavin’s softness, Nine wondered why no one stopped them. The knife was back, twisting deeper and deeper inside of him. If androids could vomit, Nine would have retched over the floor. 

Joshua had been the one to accompany Gavin on his last date. Nine had thought nothing could hurt more than Gavin’s refusal to look at him when he had returned from talking to Zan. This proved him wrong. 

His mouth opened, and Nine stepped forwards to say anything to stop them, but he was paralyzed. 

Gavin broke off from Elijah organically, grinning up at him. “Same time tomorrow, right?” He purred, hand playing with Elijah’s. 

“Of course, my prince.” Smoothing back a strand of Gavin’s hair, he bade Gavin goodnight. 

As Gavin left, his eyes searched for something. Nine hid further until he was gone. It was dark in his corner. Safe.

Maybe it was better this way. Gavin hated him, and he had looked happy with Elijah. Happier than he had ever been with Nine. Elijah could give him freedom, a life. Nine couldn’t even tell him the truth. 

He contemplated staying, until he picked up on Elijah’s voice.

“- don’t know what you see in that.”

“Gavin?” Elijah laughed. “I mean, look at him; the first person who shows him pity will get whatever they want. Bet he’s a freak in bed, too. And besides, once he’s knocked up, he’ll be out of everyone’s hair, right? No more fussy little bitch. Maybe he’ll even learn his place as other things, too.”

“What, gonna fuck the girl back into it?” The other laughed. 

Nine risked peering around. Waters had already left, and Elijah and another worker, a security guard, remained. 

Elijah grinned. “Something like that. We’ll see in two days, now won’t we? She’s coming home with me then.”

“And what about that freaky android that always follows her around?”

“Nine? I’m having him decommissioned, actually. He showed some startling malfunctions, and I’d like to see what he’s hiding.” 

Nine stumbled. Error upon error whirled inside of him, and only the thought that he couldn’t make too much noise got him safely to the elevator. 

Androids didn’t feel fear. Nine felt panic. 

The elevator took to slow, and Nine was trapped with the knowledge that even getting off it wouldn’t get him closer to Gavin. When Nine finally opened the door to Gavin’s room, he was asleep on the nesting bed. He mumbled in his sleep, tossing on the bed. 

As Nine reaches the lip of it, a red error broke across his screen. He wasn’t allowed there. 

He needed to be there. Like he was stepping outside of his body, his arm reached out and pushed the notification away. 

Gavin felt so warm and so right when Nine finally cradled him in his arms on the nesting bed. As Nine snuggled closer, tucking the Omega under his chin like any other Alpha would have, Gavin smiled. “Love you.” He whispered in his sleep. 

“I love you, too.” Nine replied.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pwease leave a comment! Uwu

The first thing that alerted Nine to dawn was the red-tinted light filtering into the room. Gavin must have left the blinds half-drawn. 

Nine searched Gavin’s bedside for his alarm clock, before he realized his own, internal clock worked just fine. It was 5:37 am. How had he forgotten? Before, checking his own systems had been second nature. 

He checked over Gavin’s schedule for the day. Same as always, with set mealtimes and “recreation”. Thankfully, no date with Elijah was scheduled. So, Nine had today and tonight to get Gavin out.

The real question was what happened after. Zan had said something about a car and border and transport. Nine had been in a car, on the way into the city with Gavin, and he could find where they were kept, and maybe even gain access. But could he pilot one? And even if he figured out how, he’d have to disable any tracking systems. Feasible, but not likely. He might be able to interface with the system, at the very least. 

Even as Nine felt a new level of control over his system, he felt a new level of fear. He didn’t want to get up. Getting up meant facing everything. And it meant relinquishing Gavin from his arms. Nine had only just gotten him. 

He buried his nose further into Gavin’s hair, breathing in deeply. He smelled like cocoa and the awful coffee that Gavin loved to drink so much, yet somehow sweeter. Now, Nine could imagine himself loving the taste of it. 

Behind his eyelids, a story flickered into life. He was sitting with Gavin, on a porch as the sun set. No, as the sun rose: sunrises were so much hopeful. Humans said they symbolized new beginnings. They sat together on a rocking swing, one with a cushion so Gavin was comfortable, and a blanket tucked over both of them. One Nine could fuss with when Gavin got cold, just so he could feel like he was helping. 

They were somewhere cold, then. Enough so Gavin would snuggle up to him, but not too much that Gavin would be unhappy. Canada. They were in Canada, in Nine’s mind, and it was years later and they were mates. That was it. It was perfect, lying there. With his eyes closed, he could just imagine the way that scents intermingled like a true bonded pair. 

Until Gavin rolled over. He stretched his limbs out, mouth opening in a yawn, before his arms crashed not onto the bed, but onto Nine’s side. 

“Whosere?” 

“I’m here.” Nine murmured. He reached out, cupping the side of Gavin’s face with his hand. Gavin’s lips were still opened, and he wondered what they tasted, how they would feel against his own. 

“Nine? But you’re not allowed up here.” Gavin reached out to touch him, like he was afraid he’d disappear. 

“But I’m your Alpha, remember? It’s my job to be here.”

“Temporary Alpha. And… Elijah will be making an offer to me soon, anyways. I’ll probably accept. It’s not like I have any other option, right?” Gavin sat upright, hugging a stuffed animal to his chest as he stared down at him. “Besides, he’s nice. Much less of an asshat than most Alphas.” Already, Gavin was slipping away. He moved his legs so they dangled off of the side of the bed. “Sides, he doesn’t even treat me different because I’m trans. He’s probably the least weird cis man I’ll find.” 

Nine winced internally, Elijah’s words flashing through him again. Even the thought of relating the words to Gavin made him shudder. He grabbed his arm, this time exerting only enough pressure to keep him still. “But is that what you want? To live the life of a simple Omega with him?”

“Simple Omega? He doesn’t… he doesn’t treat me like that, Nine. I’m like a person to him. And I’m certainly better treated with him than with you.” Gavin crossed his arms over his chest, staring down his nose at Nine.

“I treated you as best I could. As best as my programming allowed me to.” 

“Right. Because you’re just a machine.” Gavin’s feet thumped against the floor. “We should get going, right? We have a real fun day of activities ahead of us.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I really went, ok?” 

Gavin stopped. He made like he hadn’t heard Nine, but tension stiffened his shoulders. “You were going to the laundry room. That’s all you were willing to tell me. And maybe that’s where your answer should end.” 

“Gavin-“

“I trusted you. You didn’t trust me. What else is there to talk about, Nine?”

“Isn’t there any way that I can show you otherwise?” He pleaded. “I was only doing what I thought that would keep you safe!” 

“What you thought? Did you think that I needed to be treated like a child so I wouldn’t hurt myself?” The Omega bristled. 

“No, Gavin. I just didn’t know how to tell you. You mean a lot to me, and I would hate if you were hurt because of me.”

That seemed to give Gavin pause. “Fine. What do you propose then, oh mighty Alpha? It’s not like we’ll be able to get out of here by just walking out.”

“Let’s take a walk, Gavin. I’m sure it’ll help clear things up for us.” 

———————

There were three main blind spots in the building’s surveillance. One was Zan’s room (of course), which was three stories down and where Nine did Not want to be. He doubted Zan would even let him in if he tried. Another was in the kitchens, in one of the smaller walk-in closets. It was on the first floor, and would be too suspicious for them both to go to. The last was in the play room. There was an alcove that the cameras couldn’t quite pierce into, but it was still open enough to be visible to anyone in the room with them. It was the only choice, but not one Gavin submitted to lightly. 

“Do we really have to go here?” Gavin whined. “You know I phuckin hate this place.”

“I know. Trust me, please.” For good measure, he grabbed Gavin’s hand, smoothing his fingers over it. 

“Fine, Fine. Anything for you, my Alpha.” 

The way Gavin said it made Nines shiver. “Anything?”

“Don’t be gross, doofus.” Gavin rolled his eyes. Still, he didn’t take his hand away. 

As they entered the room, Nine grabbed a stack of papers and a pencil from one of the craft tables, leading Gavin into the alcove. Gavin settled onto one of the cushions, sighing heavily. 

“So what do you have to say?” 

Nines shook his head, gesturing to his hand.   
| We need to be quiet. We’re under surveillance. Write your answers down on the paper.| 

Gavin raised an eyebrow, but nodded and motioned for him to go on. 

|They're trying to neutralize you. You’re dangerous to them, and they’re afraid of you. Of what you could mean.|

“Mean?”

|This won’t work if you don’t follow the plan, Gavin.| 

Gavin rolled his eyes, grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling over it before holding it up. It read “The fuck do you mean, tin can?” 

|You’re proof that Omegas can be something, Gavin. And they’re afraid of that. They want to neutralize you.|

“How?”

|Mating you off, to Kamski. So they can prove that you’re just like any other Omega.| 

Gavin grimaced. “So how are we supposed to stop this?” 

The plan was simple. They would wait until that night, when Gavin was supposed to be asleep, and sneak out as the night guards changed shifts. Then, they would make their way out through the service door in the kitchens, where food was delivered. The kitchen was fully automated, and the service door would put them on the road behind the building, leading both to the forest and back to town. They could either break into the garage and steal a car or go on foot. How they would survive after, Nine wasn’t sure, but they couldn’t stay here. Now, all they had to do was wait.   
———————————

They left for Gavin’s room after, Nine remembering only when they were in the elevator that they should have grabbed Gavin his breakfast. It would seem too suspicious for Gavin to skip it, considering how fussy the Omega got when he had to wait for meals. 

“I’ll get something for you, ok?” Nine reassured, patting Gavin’s arm. “Just wait in the room for me.” 

It was a harrowing ten minutes while Nine left Gavin alone in his room. Everything felt… different, now that he was in control. Instead of a plan forming in his head for him to follow, he had to navigate the elevators and hallways himself, trusting his own instincts and memory of the best way to get to the dining hall. 

It was only when he arrived at the dining hall that he realized his error. Normally, following the little pop-ups in his vision was second-nature. He had no need to memorize every little rule of the Omega Center, even if he did have the guidelines stored in his memory, because any rule he tried to cross would pop up in glaring red. Without that kind of warning system, Nine was free to do as he pleased. But he was also free to fuck up. He couldn’t risk dipping into the front of the dining hall. While it was unlikely he’d bump into Waters, Waters would know something was wrong if he saw Nine alone; it was against protocol to leave an Omega alone if he had two attendants in charge of him. Gavin was a “high-risk” Omega, and lack of supervision would be suspicious. 

He almost considered going back, but he had already made it that far. The thought of Gavin leaving the relative safety of his room, even if silly, made Nine ill. Besides, he had enough faith in himself not to get caught. 

Skirting around the front entrance, past the throng of Omegas and their caretakers, Nine slithered into the back entrance. It was far less crowded here, which he now realized meant less cover. Ducking down to obscure himself, he made his way to the small stand of pre-made breakfast pastries. 

They had apple filled and raspberry filled puff triangles, as well as cinnamon rolls, and a quick scan of his memory banks told Nine that Gavin prefered cinnamon. Stuffing five pastries into his pocket, Nine turned to leave. And his eyes locked onto Joshua Waters. 

The man’s back was turned, but Nine’s systems told him it was Waters. Besides, fear made Nine remember. 

The Beta was talking to someone, a nurse, laughing a little. By the way their tones petered out, he would be done soon, and he would turn around. 

Nine took a breath, something he hadn’t realized would calm him until he did. He could pull up his jacket to obscure his face, but that would cause more questions than answers. He would have to run for it. 

The door was fifteen feet away. No one else was near them. Nine crossed the gap in .05 seconds, a burn racing through him as he crested the doorway. Looking back was a mistake, he knew, but he couldn’t help as his head flicked back to make sure he was safe. 

He caught Waters’ face, mouth ajar in a question, before Nine ran beyond the doorwell. At least Gavin would be fed now, he told himself. And it wasn’t like Waters could have really seen him in the split second his head had turned.   
———-

“You know, I like you a lot better now. No offense.” Gavin grinned toothily up at him, which made Nine suspect Gavin was making a funny joke. Nine didn’t laugh, just in case his assessment turned out false. 

What spurred the statement was most likely the nature of the rather crude game they were playing. What had started as an innocent sheet of doodles, just to pass the time, had quickly morphed into something more… interesting when Gavin realized Nine’s capability to create nearly-hyperrealistic drawings. Now, with Nine’s back helpfully towards the one camera in Gavin’s room, they were taking turns drawing the weirdest things Gavin and him could think of. 

While (most of them) weren’t necessarily explicit, they were still strange enough to warrant a bit of secrecy. Because what self-respecting Alpha droid would show his Omega a “man made of hands”, which was obviously far too grotesque for such a delicate dynamic. And Gavin’s drawings didn’t exactly exemplify Omega Delicateness either. Currently, he was working on a “Man made of penises” to accompany Nine’s Man. 

It was a bit hard to concentrate, with the few stray errors and messages that still pinged against his system, but he did his best to shut them out; he didn’t need the center’s care direction input. 

“Really? Did you not like me beforehand?” He tried to make it sound light. He wasn’t sure how it came out. 

“What? That sounded wrong, didn’t it? It’s just… you’re more you now…” He hummed. “More like a person.” 

“I am a machine.” He said, and not just for the cameras listening in. 

“And you’re my friend, right? Like, you’re caring, but you can be funny and weird as hell when you want to be. It’s like you’re not being held back now.”

Not being held back? That sounded right.”Friend?”

“I mean, I’m sorry if that’s too much to assume, but I do like you, even if I’m a handful with you-“ Gavin rambled, his face glowing a delicate shade of red. Nine wanted to reach out, to see if he felt as heated as he looked. 

“It’s fine. You’re the first friend I’ve ever had, actually. And I’m your Alpha, right? So we’re a bit more than friends.” The words tumbled out of him in a sloppy rush. Still, Gavin’s wide eyes remained fastened on him. As Gavin looked up, Nine realized how perfect of a position he was in with Gavin. 

“What are you implying? Do you… like me, Nine?”

‘What a silly question to ask.’ Nine thought. “I love you.”

He leaned down to kiss him, but in that exact moment, the room’s intercom blared, “Gavin Reed And RK900: Report to the Alpha Visiting Center immediately”.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been way too long haha... This had def been a case of “half of the chapter sat in my draft for Months but I only just got the time to finish it”   
Please enjoy this chapter!! Things are finally heating up and I’m very excited :))   
Leave a comment if you can!! They definitely help me write faster

Nine hadn’t thought much about his first kiss, seeing as he had been a machine for the majority of his very short life. But in the flickers of preconstructions he had spent countless watts of processing power ruminating over, while Gavin’s expression had flickered from delighted surprise to knowing to even lust, it had never shown fear. 

And yet now, with Nine’s lips halfway to Gavin, Gavin was petrified. 

Pulling back, Nine immediately straightened. He didn’t want to go, didn’t want to shatter the moment further, but dawdling would be much worse. They’d come find them, and they’d take his Gavin away from him. 

“Now?” Gavin mouthed. “Do they… know?”

“Come on. I’ll- I’ll think of something.” He grabbed Gavin’s hand, trying not to focus on the way Gavin’s heart raced. Or the plummeting feeling in his own chassis. 

————

The halls of the center were nearly empty as he led them to the elevator. While it was only 5:30 pm, it felt like everyone had gone to sleep, and they were moving through molasses towards the elevator. That, or everything was holding its breath. 

The loudest sound was Gavin’s breathing as they stepped inside. The gentle whoosh whoosh of breath in and out of his mouth, just a tiny bit labored. Fear coursing through his mate, and leaving him breathless. Nine squeezed his hand all the way down to the first floor. 

The ground floor hallway had a bit more life. Betas and Omegas milled about, hurrying off to dinner and other activities. Still, Nine couldn’t quiet the festering dread inside of him. 

As they reached the doorway to the Alpha greeting center, Gavin stalled out. 

“We have to go in.” Nine whispered. Could they even get out if they didn’t? The security guards would already be trained on them, and if they tried to get out, it would only draw attention to their escape. Security would be on them in seconds. 

“I know.” Gavin nodded, tilting his chin up and looking Nine in the eye. He looked like he wanted to kiss him, to complete what Nine had started back in their room. Nine wanted him to follow through. But they were already in the open, where anyone could see them, where anyone could turn their eyes on them and rip them apart in the time it took for him to blink. 

Instead, Nine embraced him. Gavin smelled soft, his hair carrying a downy sweetness, with the tiniest hint of Nine bleeding in. Gavin’s arms wrapped tightly around his back, warm and comforting and molding against him in the best possible way. Nine could have stayed forever in Gavin’s arms, but instead he gently pushed him back. “Stay strong for me, will you?” 

“I’m stronger than any dumb Alpha will ever be.” Gavin sniffed, giving Nine a butchered wink to show he was teasing. 

Then, they stepped into the Alpha center. 

The first scent to hit Nine was Elijah’s. Just a touch overpowering, well beyond the usual, laid-back Alpha that exuded from him, but just a touch above the usual spray of Aloha that released from him. 

Nine’s lip curled. There were only betas around him, and Nine considered spraying his own scent all over the room. But it wasn’t something Nine the android would have done, so he resisted the urge. 

“Gavin!” Elijah looked up, grinning widely. “What a pleasure to see you.”

Gavin stiffly waved. “Hello.” 

“Long time no see, right?” The Alpha laughed at his own joke, loping closer. Gavin stood his ground, drawing up just a bit straighter as Elijah approached. 

Nine stiffened. Gavin’s reaction could make or break their freedom. 

“It must have been an eternity without my company.” Gavin said dryly. 

“Oh, it was.” Elijah all but purred, sliding a hand to rest on Gavin’s hip.

“It wasn’t even a day, was it? Why are you back so soon?” 

“Well… I couldn’t wait to be with you, first and foremost. But, logistically, you will be undergoing your next heat shortly. I want to be with you in case it comes early.” 

Nine frowned. A quick check of Gavin’s record told him that Gavin’s heat wasn’t due for another week. Elijah was nervous, then. Or had caught onto them. 

“Eww.” Gavin laughed. It came out strained. “Gonna track my period, too?” 

“It’s simply a matter of timing, dear. Since you’re such a special case, we need to make sure that you’re safely in my care before your heat. Since you’ve gone so long without one due to blockers, it would be best to have you under my supervision during your next heat. While your android friend was built with the capabilities to help you during that time, there’s no reason to draw things out farther when I’m what you truly need. Besides, I don’t want anything unexpected happening to you, Darling.” Elijah hummed, tipping Gavin’s face upwards. 

“I suppose you should watch me masturbate, too. Gotta get all those basics down, right?” Gavin snickered. 

“Well, I can think that might help.” Elijah muttered. 

“So what now? Do I really have to leave right now?” 

“I thought you’d want to get out as quickly as possible. I can take you somewhere nice for dinner after we leave here, just the two of us, and maybe we can walk around Detroit? My house is a bit set back from the city, so it would be nice to let you see the city again before we get settled in.” 

Nine stiffened. In that moment, all he wanted was to thrust himself between Gavin and the Alpha. If he failed, Gavin would be trading one cage for another. 

Gavin remained calm. “But I’ve been here for so long, I want to say goodbye to it!”

“I thought you hated it here.” Elijah raised an eyebrow. 

“I hated highschool, too. Doesn’t mean I didn’t give it one last walk around before graduation.”

“Alright, Alright.” Elijah chuckled. “Would you like to go around together then? Show me your old haunts, where you snuck in weed or coke or whatever else you take.”

“Or gave the janitor head? I was thinking more along the lines of a party. There’s a costume party tonight. I think it would be fun! I could wear something cute for you.” Gavin, in a move that even with Nine’s superior processing power the android wasn’t sure had really occurred, palmed the front of Elijah’s pants. Nine had never been more jealous and more aroused. His eyes scanned the room, confused that none of the Betas had appeared to notice. 

“That would be nice.” Elijah said, his voice dipping down to a gruff purr. “Maybe some playboy bunny action, or a cat. I’d sure love that, helping you pick something out.” 

“But you need to dress up, too! I wouldn’t want you to be embarrassed at the party!” Gavin tapped his chest. Nine would have thought he was laying it on thick if his own knees weren’t so weak. “‘Sides, I have Nine to help me!” 

Elijah’s eyes narrowed, and Nine straightened into what he hoped was proper android posture. He didn’t meet the burning feeling of the Alpha’s eyes on him. “Alright. And you should doll up your little android friend, too. As a last hurrah. I’m sure you’ll miss him terribly.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” Gavin nodded thoughtfully, grabbing Elijah and tugging him downwards before pecking a kiss on his lips. From the look on his face, Nine knew he wasn’t the only one affected by Gavin. 

“Think I bought us some time.” Gavin mumbled as he trotted back to Nine. Nine nodded. 

“Shall I take you back to your room now?” Tentatively, he placed his arm on Gavin’s back. Gavin leaned into the touch. 

The man let out a whoosh of air, staring up at Nine pleadingly. He studiously ignored the way Elijah still stared at him. “Please.” 

———————-

Gavin stood with his back to Nine, riffling through his closet. “I can’t just wear that, now can I? What am I to you, a heterosexual?” 

Nine didn’t know what was so heterosexual about a simple ghost costume (a cute ghost costume, thank you very much), but he placed it back on the bed. Besides, he had more pressing things to worry about. 

The costume party was in two hours, and held in the recreation room. Most of the staff would be there, barring the few still on security detail, with most of the Beta caretakers chaperoning their Omegas. The event would be catered by the android-powered kitchens, with multitudes of androids bustling back and forth between the rec center and kitchen area, all leading to a service area completely powered by automated labor. If they could blend in with the staff, they would be able to sneak out on the trucks. 

He cursed himself for not considering the party sooner. He hadn’t even known about it, the thought had never flickered past his mental horizon. It was an opportunity, small yet important, and it hurt physically to think that he could have overlooked it. Had he really lost his ability to care for Gavin so quickly? What else had he been missing? 

“Here! It’s cute, isn’t it?” 

When Nine looked up, Gavin wore a tight black leotard and sheer tights, pink bunny ears flopping from their precautious perch on a hot pink headband as Gavin stuck his chin up. Despite the bunny attire, he looked like the legendary “cat who ate the canary”. 

“Y-Yeah…” An uncomfortable tingling sensation raced to Nine’s crotch, and he pressed his legs together. 

Gavin beamed. “And I’ve got one for you, too!” He held a costume up in his hands, another black leotard, this time with pink cat ears and a long, swishy pink tail that looked suspiciously like a feather boa. 

“You want me to wear that?”

“Yes.” 

“To the party?”

“And when we fuck later, but yes.”

“When we _what_?”

“You ask way too many questions, Nine. Are you feeling alright?” 

“Positively delightful, Gavin.” 

“Good. Now get this on; we don’t have all day.” 

After a few minutes of fussing, involving the fact that the leotard showed a bit too much of Nine’s penis, and that Nine _had_ to be a cat because what were they if they didn’t follow a theme? Nine ended on a final costume: ghost cat. 

“But I can barely see your body.” Gavin pouted. 

“Good.” Nine hissed. Besides, the flowy white sheet was much better for hiding an alternate outfit for Gavin than the leotard, plus the backpack of provisions and Gavin’s things (mostly gifts from Tina) that he had wanted to keep. 

“Prude. I think we’d look adorable. Elijah would have to take us both home if you wore that.” Gavin reached out to “sneakily” pinch Nine’s ass, and Nine let him. 

“Don’t even joke about that.” 

“Mm. I’d be too all over you anyway, sweetheart.” 

“Sweetheart?” That was new, Nine thought. 

“Yes babe?” Gavin winked with both eyes. 

“Never mind.” Nine snorted. “Are you ready?” 

“As I’ll ever be.” Gavin let his arms dangle by his sides, his eyes tracking around the room. Even if Gavin hated the place, it was the last time he’d ever see it. Nine hoped so, at least. Nine could only wonder at what was going through Gavin’s head. Well, maybe not just wonder. The center was the only thing Nine had ever known, too. It would be impossible not for him to miss it, at least on some level. But the most important part of it, the part that had made it livable, was Gavin. Nine wouldn’t be leaving him behind. 

“Alright.” Nine held out his arm. Gavin grabbed on tight, a warm weight against him, and they stepped out of the room together. 

—————— 

The only word that Nine could describe the party with was overwhelming. Throngs of Omegas, hemmed in by tired Beta caretakers, milled around in the center of the rec room floor. All of the little tables and chairs had been pushed aside to make way for a dance floor, swarmed with a throng of Betas jerkily dancing with their charges. 

“Come on. We should pay ol’ Elijah a visit.” 

Nine dipped his head in a nod, barely aware of how his ears waved. Beneath the sheet, he felt protected. No one knew who he was, barring his association with Gavin. Here, he didn’t have to follow orders. 

He stumbled along after Gavin, relishing the warmth radiating between their bond. The thought that if they bumped into Elijah, they’d simply be able to leave him in the dust, made him warm. Of course, it wouldn’t be as simple as that. Gavin had to check in with him to make sure he thought all was well. But he doubted Elijah would want to leave him be so soon after seeing; Nines expected him to suspect them at least a little. They’d have to come up with a good enough reason for Gavin to need to leave. Or something that Elijah would have to attend to himself. 

As Gavin made his way through the crowd, Nine in tow behind, Nine’s eyes caught on a figure in the distance, skirting the edge of the crowd. Zan, wearing their normal uniform plus a ghost pinned to their lapel, stared coolly at the crowd. Nine mused that to them, the uniform was still a costume. 

Their eyes met for a moment. Zan blinked and looked away.

“Fancy seeing you here, little bunny.” The voice oozed slime. Elijah had caught up with Gavin. A finger twirled one of Gavin’s rabbit ears. 

Gavin gave him a grin halfway to a grimace while Nine ran over the repercussions for punching the Alpha in the jaw. “I’m not very fancy.” Gavin replied. “And I love your outfit. How classy and timeless.”

Elijah wore a dark suit with a skull mask over his face. Nine thought he looked like a prick. “Thank you. I wanted something that could go well with whatever you wore.” He reached out, letting his hands drift to Gavin’s hips. Nine wanted to punch him again. 

Elijah cast his eyes back to Nine. They were piercing in a way that made the android squirm. “And what’s that outfit supposed to be?” 

“A ghost cat.” Nine said quietly. 

“How cute. Did you make it for him, Gavin?”

“What? No! I wanted him in a playboy cat outfit; he made that all himself.”

Elijah’s eyes narrowed at the comment, and he regarded Nine for a long moment. “It’s very skillful, Nine. I’m impressed.”

With a subconscious search, images of a child frying an ant under a magnifying glass burst into Nine’s mind. Nine felt a sense of kinship with the ant in that moment. “Thank you.” He tucked his hands closer to his body, trying to relieve some of the tension that had built in his chassis. At least he had a thick layer of white between them. 

“But do you like my outfit, Lili?” Gavin disentangled from Elijah’s grip to give him a little twirl, shaking his ass at the end. It seemed that it was enough of a welcomed surprise to make Elijah forget about the nickname he had been given. 

“It’s perfect. Only a real costuming genius could have come up with it.”

“Exactly!! And it makes me look sexy.” 

“So certainly it’s a win all around.” Elijah’s hands looked far too hungry to explore Gavin again. The Alpha settled for resting a hand on the small of Gavin’s back. “So, what would you like to do before we leave? We don’t have much time before we have to go, if we want to make it back to your new home at a reasonable hour.”

Gavin nodded. Nine knew by the way that he had jolted that he was not a fan of the way Elijah was touching him, and certainly not of the pressure that crunched down on them. “Maybe some dancing would be nice? And treats! You can see if there’s anything good for me at the snack table, right?” Gavin trailed his nail down the front of Elijah’s jacket, leaving little room for argument. 

“Of course, of course. Anything for my little Omega.” 

Gavin grabbed Nine’s hand,easing him towards the center of the floor. 

“Nine, why don’t you come with me? You know what’s best for Gavin, don’t you?” A large hand, thin but strong, wrapped around Nine’s bicep. The thought flashed through him that he could kill Elijah in an instant, with just the right twist of his hand. For a moment, the way the Alpha’s hand pulsed around him made him doubt that fact. 

Nine turned back. Elijah grinned like a shark. 

“It would be best if someone accompanied Gavin to the-“

“That’s an order, Nine. Besides, Gavin’s an adult; I’m sure he won’t get up to any trouble without you there with him.” 

“Of course.” Nine looked back at Gavin. Gavin had tensed. 

“You heard him, Nine; Go give LiLi some help.” Gavin slapped his ass. 

Nine stumbled forward. “It would be an honor for me to assist you.” He said through his teeth. Elijah still hadn’t let go of his arm. 

The Alpha led him over to a long folding table, done up with a black and orange tablecloth with platters and bowls of different sweets. Nine stared listlessly at a fake skull filled with deep purple punch. 

“What does Gavin like?” Elijah asked. He let go of Nine, standing a little ways away from him. Dark blue eyes bore into Nine. 

It was a test. “Well…” He stared at the food. Elijah expected a quick answer, and an accurate one. “Gavin’s a fan of candy.” He pointed to a large bowl shaped like a pumpkin, filled to the brim with the type of high sugar candy that both 10 year olds and Gavin adored. 

Elijah narrowed his eyes. 

“But he’s only allowed to have two pieces.” 

“Anything else?” 

“He likes pastries, too. So maybe one of the cinnamon rolls would be a good treat for him?”

“And punch, right?”

“Yes, he’d like something to drink.” 

“But It has pineapple, right? Gavin can’t have that.” Elijah frowned. It looked more like a simper. 

“Of course; I had miscalculated.” As Nine said it, he felt a tiny, wriggling feeling that told him he had made a mistake. Still, Elijah didn’t say anything as Nine grabbed one of the mini water bottles besides the punch. 

Nine had never had much reason to breathe, but he felt his artificial airways mysteriously lighten when Elijah finally nodded that it was enough. As if he had a sixth sense, given the tumult of colors and smells generated by the crowd of rowdy Omegas, Elijah led both of them back to Gavin. 

Gavin stood by himself, jerking to the music as he tried to keep clear of the throng of younger Omegas that threatened to spill over him. “We have your snacks.” Elijah said, grabbing the plate from Nine and proffering it like he had picked it himself. 

“Thanks. This looks sick.” Gavin grabbed a handful of skittles and stuffed them into his mouth. Even as he chewed he reached for more. 

“You’re quite welcome. As your Alpha, I delight in being able to provide for you.”

Nine felt sick. “Do you want to dance with… us, Gavin?”

Gavin nodded. He reached out for Nine, at the last second pulling Elijah in with them. 

For the next hour, Gavin led them both through jerking renditions of dances more befitting children than adult Omegas. They were running out of time. 

The stress had worn on Gavin. And the time had worn on Elijah. Every few seconds he coughed like he wanted to interrupt him. They didn’t have much time left. 

“Gavin, do you need the bathroom?” The way to the bathrooms was right past the door where the service Androids bustled in and out. If they could get there, they’d have a few minutes to blend in. It wasn’t what Nine had hoped for, but he’d take it. 

“Uh huh.” The Omega nodded. “Wait for me here?” He said to Elijah. “We can go right after.” 

To Nine’s surprise, Elijah nodded. “Just be quick, ok? It’s getting late, and I don’t want us held up any longer.” He patted Gavin’s side, leaning in to kiss him quickly on the lips. For a moment, Gavin looked like he wanted to gag, but he leaned into it. 

Nine didn’t trust the Alpha. But he and Gavin needed to go. He grabbed the Omega’s hand, squeezing it in his as he delicately lead Gavin to the back of the room. 

The bathrooms were to the right of the exit, and the serving androids poured down to the left. It felt quiet, like the hallway was waiting for them. Something fizzled in Nine’s core processor. Was it fear? Or anticipation. Subconsciously, he held Gavin tighter to himself. 

Together, they stepped into the hallway. And right into the trap. 

Four people stood in a tight semi-circle in front of them. Joshua Waters, looking both angry and distraught, two Betas bearing emblems marking them as the heads of Omega Security, and skulking near the back, like it was the last place they wanted to be, was Zan. They didn’t meet Nine’s eyes. 

The urge to run, to fight, coursed through Nine. It crackled like fire, and the hand not holding Gavin pulsed in a fist. He could take all of them before they could blink. He’d even save Zan for last, to make it count. 

Something sharp jabbed into his neck, stabbing through the white fabric, and his knees buckled. As if through water, he heard Gavin scream. 

A dark figure stepped into view above him. Nine saw blue eyes. A smile like a shark. He watched helplessly as Waters subdued Gavin behind Elijah. 

“Now what do we have here?” Elijah said softly, kneeling down in front of him. “I must say, you’re quite the intriguing android.” He looked at Gavin for a moment, and his grin widened, before he stared back at Nine with his piercing blue eyes. In that moment, Nine realized they looked lifeless. “It's almost sad that I’ll have to destroy you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well DAMN, they really got CAUGHT, right?


End file.
